By Chandani Hamal

Kathmandu, Aug. 16: Experts of foreign policy and foreign affairs have expressed concerns about changing political scenarios and suggested the government to pay due attention to strengthen diplomacy.
They said that strengthening diplomatic relations among countries is the most important and most challenging job to be accomplished by the government now.

The Former Ambassadors’ Association, an independent think tank, is studying the matter to provide suggestions to the government.
Dr. Shambhuram Simkhada, chairman of the Association, said that the government should give its thought to organisational structure, policy lapses and diplomacy.

“We will provide some concrete suggestions to the government accordingly,” he said.

The foreign relations experts will interact with the officials and stakeholders in the Prime Minister’s Office and Council of Ministers, Foreign, Finance and Commerce ministries before they will prepare the draft of the study. 
“The government should identify its issues of national interests, adopt stable policy and coordination among its diplomatic units,” Simkhada said, adding that financial diplomacy, vaccine diplomacy and labour diplomacy need to be highlighted in equal footing to political diplomacy.

Simkhada expressed his serious concerns about political instability too. He said that the executive head of the country leads its diplomacy across the world, however frequent changes have affected the diplomacy.
Practicing democracy is good in politics but it should not affect

national security and diplomacy, Simkhada said.
“Frequent changes in political leadership and the changes in diplomatic units are actually sending wrong messages to the international community,” he said.

Another former ambassador Prof. Ramesh Koirala stressed on changes in the ministries. “Restructuring the ministry could be helpful,” he said. According to him, labour in Malaysia and the Gulf countries has similar issues, however different branches of the ministry deal with it which is a nuisance.

“The same unit can deal with the issues of 40 million labourers serving in international labour market and different units exist in the ministry,” he added.

Prof. Koirala stressed on vaccine diplomacy at the same time. “Efficient diplomacy requires the diplomatic missions to deal with several countries at the same time at lower cost,” he said.
Sound diplomacy is the output of long, collective, deliberate efforts of the government.

Similarly, former ambassador Lucky Sherpa said that establishing strong and sound diplomatic relation was not the responsibility merely of a party, it is a common responsibility.
“Treaties, documents and commitments signed with foreign countries are forever,” she said.

Nepal has already established diplomatic relations with 171 countries across the globe.