Nepal's Balen Shah meets top Indian diplomat months after snub. What's changed?

India Today · Abhishek De · 2026-11-06 12:06 UTC

Earlier this year Nepal PM Balen Shah reportedly refused to meet India039s foreign secretary Vikram Misri amid protocol politics On Thursday Shah sat down with the same diplomat ahead of his visit to India later this month What039s the reason behind the turnaround

Earlier this year, Nepal PM Balen Shah reportedly refused to meet India's foreign secretary Vikram Misri amid protocol politics. On Thursday, Shah sat down with the same diplomat ahead of his visit to India later this month. What's the reason behind the turnaround?

Around six months ago, Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah refused to meet the Indian foreign secretary, which resulted in Vikram Misri's visit being postponed. Nepalese media reports then cited Shah's reluctance to meet with foreign officials who are not of an equivalent level. On Thursday, he sat down with the very same Indian diplomat. Perhaps, this time Shah's ego had to make way for pragmatism as Nepal just cannot brush away its largest trading partner.

On Thursday, Shah met Misri in Kathmandu as the foreign secretary wrapped up his two-day visit to the Himalayan nation. It comes ahead of the Nepal PM's visit to India later this month (November 22 likely), in what will be his first bilateral trip since assuming office in March. The decision is another major turnaround by Shah, who previously decided not to make foreign visits in his first year in office.

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