Balendra Shah Government Major Decision: Nepal's Balendra Shah government has taken a shocking decision. The Nepal government has recalled its ambassadors from 17 countries including India, America, China, Britain, Russia, Australia, Sri Lanka, Denmark, South Korea and South Africa. All these ambassadors of Nepal were appointed during the tenure of KP Sharma Oli. In the cabinet meeting, the Balendra Shah government has asked the remaining 6 ambassadors appointed from the political quota during the KP Sharma Oli government to return to their country within 1 month.
Nepal's newly formed government's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has ordered its ambassadors posted in six important countries, including India, to return home within a month. This decision has left Nepal's embassies, including those in India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Denmark, South Korea, and South Africa, leaderless. The Nepal government says that these politically appointed ambassadors should have resigned on their own after the election results, but this drastic step had to be taken when this did not happen.
The appointment of new ambassadors to Nepal could take several weeks, involving recommendation of names, parliamentary hearings, and other formal procedures. This raises the risk of a temporary diplomatic vacuum in Nepal's bilateral relations with 17 countries. Nepal's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lok Bahadur Chhetri said the ambassadors were recalled as part of a cabinet decision.
The recalled ambassadors include Shankar Prasad Sharma (India), Chitralekha Yadav (Australia), Sumnima Tuladhar (Denmark), Purna Bahadur Nepali (Sri Lanka), Shivamaya Tumbahamphe (South Korea) and Kapilman Shrestha (South Africa). Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister in March 2026, nearly six months after the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government.
The government of Sushila Karki, the first interim Prime Minister of Nepal's newly formed Balendra Shah government, issued an order recalling ambassadors from 11 out of 17 countries. Analysts believe that Balendra Shah's government is taking steps towards eliminating political appointments and making merit-based diplomatic appointments. Meanwhile, challenges may increase in conducting relations with neighboring countries like India and other major powers. However, the Nepal government has assured that the process of appointing new ambassadors will begin soon.
Source: Patrika