We are delighted to give continuity to the Lecture Series that was established last year in the name of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the shaping of Nepal’s foreign policy and diplomacy during its formative years.

The overarching objective of this lecture series is to bring knowledge, expertise and experience from renowned diplomats, policy makers, professors, and researchers on a diverse range of themes of international relations and foreign policy.

This flagship annual lecture series hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to stimulate enlightened deliberations on the issues of national, regional, and global importance that have direct bearing on Nepal’s national interest and the conduct of foreign policy and diplomacy.

We hope the lecture will help better understand the dynamics of contemporary international relations and provide insights to navigate through the challenging time.

We also hope that the lecture will inspire current and future practitioners of foreign policy and diplomacy to internalize the values, ideas, and ideals that Prof. Khanal epitomized in Nepal’s foreign policy process.

Professor Khanal was born in Tanahun District in August 1913 and educated in Sanskrit, Science and English literature from Nepal and India.

He had a diverse career as a teacher, scholar, civil servant, and a diplomat. He embarked his career in foreign policy and diplomacy as a member of Nepali delegation to the Afro-Asian Conference held in Bandung (Indonesia) in 1955.

Professor Khanal was appointed as Foreign Secretary twice in 1961 and 1967; Ambassador of Nepal to India in 1963; Ambassador to the United States and Canada in 1973; and later asAmbassador to China in 1978. Even after retirementfrom the active diplomatic service, Professor Khanal continued to advise the government on matters of international affairs and foreign policy.

Prof. Khanal demonstrated, in diplomatic practice and through his writings, the wisdom on how Nepal could pursue its vital interests against the constraints of the time. He took a lead to diversify and expand Nepal’s diplomatic contacts and engagements. His counsels derived from his vast experience and incisive observation of international politics of his time continue to inspire and guide succeeding generations of Nepali intellectuals and foreign policy practitioners.

His wisdom that a country like Nepal needs to maintain clarity, consistency, credibility and coherence in foreign policy stands as relevant today as it was in the time of Prof. Khanal.

For today’s lecture, the second edition of the series, we are delighted to have Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador Madhu Raman Acharya who will speak on the topic of ‘Safeguarding Nepal’s National Interests: Foreign Policy Choices in the Changing International Environment’.

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Ambassador Acharya for accepting our invitation to share his thoughts on this important topic. We are confident that the lecture will give us useful insights and tools to navigate in the increasingly uncertain and complex world of contemporary international relations.

Ambassador Acharya does not need any introduction. He is well known among us as a diplomat, a scholar and as an analyst. He joined Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Joint Secretary in 1996bringing a vast experience and knowledge of working in different key Ministries of the Government of Nepal. He then rose to become the Foreign Secretary of Nepal from 2002 to 2005, Ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh from 1998 to 2001, and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations from 2005 to 2009.

Acharya served as Director of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) in2010 and 2011. Earlier, he also served in United Nations Missions in Cambodia, South Africa and Liberia during the 1990s.

Ambassador Acharya authored several best-selling books, including Business of Bureaucracy (2014), Nepal: Culture Shift! (2001), two volume Nepal Worldview on Foreign Policy and Diplomacy(2019), The Talking Points: Reflections on Nepal's Neighbourhood and Multilateral Relations(2020), and Race Against Time (2022).

Bharat Raj Paudyal is a Foreign Secretary. Excerpts of his welcome Remarks delivered at the Second Edition of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series