Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, delivering welcome remarks at the Fifth Edition of the Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series in Kathmandu on June 29, 2026, described the annual event as a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a tribute to Professor Khanal’s pioneering contribution to Nepal’s diplomacy. Rai said Khanal played a central role in intellectualising Nepal’s foreign policy and laying the foundations of a professional and specialised foreign service. He recalled Khanal’s emphasis that diplomacy requires deep understanding of national history, objectives and the complexities arising from Nepal’s geographical position.

Highlighting Khanal’s career, Rai noted that he served twice as Foreign Secretary and represented Nepal as ambassador to India, China and the United States. He described Khanal as one of the principal architects of modern Nepal’s foreign policy whose diplomatic judgement, scholarly writings and pragmatic approach continue to inspire diplomats and policymakers. According to Rai, Khanal’s enduring message was that foreign policy should be based on clarity, consistency, credibility and coherence, principles that remain important for maintaining balance and sound judgement in international affairs.

Rai said the global system is undergoing profound change due to renewed great-power competition, the growing intersection of geopolitics and economics, weakening multilateral cooperation, technological rivalry, energy security, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, infrastructure and market access. Against this backdrop, he said the lecture theme, “Foreign Policy of Nepal: Navigating Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Trends,” was particularly timely. Welcoming former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai as the keynote speaker, Rai expressed confidence that the lecture would contribute fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing Nepal’s foreign policy while helping advance the country’s core national interests.