FM Rana unveils her achievements

Kathmandu, July 15

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has said that her achievements in the past one year included restructuring the ministry, participating in high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings, and launching economic diplomacy and climate-focused initiatives.

In the year since she assumed office as Foreign Minister in July 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has introduced new dimensions to Nepal’s diplomatic engagement, the Minister's secretariat informed in a statement on Tuesday.

Within a month of her appointment, Dr. Rana visited India at the invitation of her counterpart Dr. S. Jaishankar and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their discussions covered trade, transit, connectivity, energy, floods, and infrastructure. Diplomatic engagements continued with meetings in Oman, and New Delhi.

"Dr. Rana also held talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and leaders from countries including Japan, Germany, and Canada. She participated in international platforms such as the UN General Assembly, G77, G20, NAM, and the BIMSTEC Summit," read the statement.

The ministry initiated structural reforms under the Organisational Needs Mapping (ONM), opening new consulates in Dallas, San Francisco, and Dubai to serve the growing Nepali diaspora. A dedicated Economic Diplomacy Division was established, while the Sagarmatha Dialogue was launched as a platform for climate discussions.

Likewise, a mobile app, Shram Sansar, was introduced to collect data on Nepali migrant workers and provide targeted consular services.

FM Dr. Rana advocated for climate justice at the International Court of Justice and launched efforts for Nepal’s candidacy to UN bodies, including the Human Rights Council. She prioritised the safe repatriation of Nepalis from conflict zones and campaigned for the release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali national.

According to her, the ministry faced resource constraints in serving a globally dispersed diaspora and operating missions abroad. Despite these challenges, its efforts in diplomacy, restructuring, and citizen service delivery mark a notable year of foreign policy execution under Minister Rana’s leadership, read the statement.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 July 2025.