Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, addressing an international conference in Lalitpur on August 7, 2026, said the rise of Asia, particularly China and India, offers Nepal major opportunities in trade, investment, tourism, technology and regional connectivity. Speaking at the conference “China and South Asia in a Multipolar World: China-India-Nepal Trilateral Relations in an Evolving Regional Order,” Khanal said Nepal would continue strengthening its relations with India and China independently on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. He noted that while Asia accounts for more than 60% of recent global economic growth, South Asia remains weakly integrated, with intra-regional trade at only around 5–7%, leaving significant room for deeper economic cooperation.

Khanal said Nepal’s government has placed economic transformation and prosperity at the centre of its national agenda, with economic diplomacy focused on infrastructure, quality investment, exports, tourism, clean energy, digital transformation, modern agriculture and entrepreneurship. He said Nepal wants to transform itself from a landlocked country into a “vibrant, dynamic bridge connecting China and South Asia” through stronger cross-border transport, digital connectivity, trade facilitation and people-to-people exchanges. He also highlighted Nepal’s more than 42,000 MW of economically viable hydropower potential, along with its biodiversity, water resources, agriculture and growing digital economy as areas capable of attracting investment and supporting regional clean-energy security.

The minister also emphasized Nepal’s cultural and tourism strengths, citing the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the legacy of Guru Rinpoche, Sagarmatha, UNESCO World Heritage sites and eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains as important soft-power and economic assets. He called for practical partnerships in trade, energy, artificial intelligence, research, climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction and Himalayan conservation, while stressing that regional prosperity should be based on cooperation rather than zero-sum competition. Khanal concluded that foreign policy should ultimately serve people’s welfare and said Nepal stands ready to contribute to a more connected, sustainable and prosperous Asia.