By Khabarmala Correspondent
The government has begun preparations to select ambassadors through open competition, while simultaneously working on reducing the number of embassies and consulates. According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussions at various levels have led to plans to shut down Nepali embassies in Denmark, Finland, Portugal, South Africa, Austria, Spain, Myanmar, Egypt, Canada, and Brazil. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has been consulting diplomats as part of a broader restructuring of the ministry, and the conclusion has been that maintaining embassies in these countries involves unnecessary expenses.
The ministry is also holding internal discussions on reducing existing embassies while possibly opening new ones. Currently, Nepal operates 44 diplomatic missions—34 embassies and 10 consulates general—and preparations are underway to reduce this number by 30 to 40 percent.
Officials believe that in the past, unnecessary embassies were opened mainly to appoint political affiliates as ambassadors under party quotas. As a result, plans are in place to shut down around 10 embassies, a claim that is considered partly valid.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly preparing to announce vacancies for only half of the currently vacant ambassador positions. According to ministry sources, any embassy whose vacant ambassador post is not opened for application will almost certainly be slated for closure.
The foreign minister has instructed the ministry’s secretary and senior officials to prepare a restructuring framework, which includes reviewing Nepal’s missions abroad. Reports suggest that a blueprint has been drafted to close 8 to 10 embassies. Recently, Minister Khanal sought suggestions from former ambassador Vijaykant Karn and senior journalist Ajay Bhadra Khanal regarding the restructuring process. According to Karn, the minister is actively working on the reform plan.
Former ambassador Karn recommended closing embassies in the aforementioned countries, suggesting that their functions could be handled by nearby missions. He proposed strengthening embassies in Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States by increasing staff. This, he believes, would significantly reduce costs. He also argued that, with services increasingly being delivered online, many consulates general are no longer necessary.
“The goal is to reduce the number of embassies while enhancing the capacity of those that remain,” Karn said. Regarding India, officials suggest maintaining the embassy in New Delhi and the consulate general in Kolkata, while noting that consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru may still be necessary.
The ministry is also preparing to abolish many honorary consuls appointed in various countries based on political connections. It is reported that more than half of these honorary consuls may be removed, as many have been accused of prioritizing personal gain over national interest and even being linked to human trafficking.
Minister Khanal is also working on appointing ambassadors through open competition for the first time. The government led by Balen Shah had already recalled six ambassadors appointed by the previous KP Sharma Oli government on Chaitra 24. Currently, 17 diplomatic missions—including those in India, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Denmark, and South Africa—remain without ambassadors. The Oli-led government had appointed ambassadors to 17 out of 34 missions under political quotas.
