'Political stability & commitment key to trilateral cooperation'

Kathmandu, Oct. 29: Foreign policy experts have said that the much-talked about trilateral cooperation among Nepal, India and China cannot be realised until there is political commitment and stability in the country.

They said that failure to resolve the domestic problems and lack of consensus on regional and international issues among the political parties has weakened Nepal's position in the international arena.

"Internal political situation is highly volatile and government does not last for more than a year. The political parties always seek external support or sometime invite interference to reach and stay in power. Given these dimensions of national politics, the chances of Nepal to push and benefit from the trilateral cooperation agenda are slim," said Bhaskar Koirala, a foreign policy expert.

According to him, economic diplomacy of India with China and the United States would also be a determining factor in this regard.

Similarly, the growing intimacy between India and the US will redefine the former's relations with China.

As India is a regional leader in South Asia with huge market potentials with 1.2 billion population, global superpowers are competing with each other to enhance trade and better relations with India.

Some observers argue that India sees any regional initiative of China as an interventionist step.

That might be a reason behind India's refusal to be the part of the 'One Belt One Road' initiative proposed by the Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Nischal Pandey, Nepal director of Centre for South Asian Studies, said that political stability and enhanced connectivity would create environment for the trilateral cooperation.

"We don't have political stability for decades while we have poor road infrastructure and no policy. Therefore, if Nepal wants to materialize the trilateral cooperation and be a bridge between the two fastest growing economies, it should work on the multiple fronts," he said.

Former permanent representative of Nepal to the United Nations Dr. Shambhu Ram Simkhada said that until and unless the major political parties came together and forged consensus on creating strategy to make the country a link for the two giants, Nepal's dream for trilateral cooperation would be just a 'dream'.

He maintained that any country needed 'national consensus' on the matters such as 'trilateral cooperation'.

According to Koirala, Nepalese bureaucracy was not capable of responding to the strategy of forging trilateral cooperation.

"The bureaucracy needs to walk the talk. It demands expertise and coordination but there is virtually a zero preparation in this regard," he said.

He does not see any foundation which would convey positive message of Nepal becoming a bridge between India and China

However, as Nepal has been maintaining amicable relations with both the neighbours since time immemorial, experts believe that if Nepal proposes the strategy with enough preparations, India and China may come together.

"The government should study the benefits that Nepal can harness if the trilateral cooperation is materialized and pursue calculated moves to implement it," said Koirala.