Twenty-three European Union ambassadors and deputy heads of mission, currently in Kathmandu for an annual meeting, were seemingly impressed by the initial commitments and trajectory of the new Balendra Shah government in Nepal.

On Tuesday, they, along with some other Kathmandu-based ambassadors, jointly called on the prime minister at his office, where the PM laid out the priority of his government for almost two hours. This was the second joint call on by the ambassadors to Prime Minister Shah after he was sworn in on March 27.

“We had a very good impression, and we hope that they can make a good democracy,” Veronique Lorenzo, the EU Ambassador to Nepal, said during a press conference along with her fellow ambassadors, who are based mostly in New Delhi but also look after Nepal. “I found that the prime minister wants to make a difference.”

Soon there will be a budget speech, “which will tell us how the government will deal with the situation,” Lorenzo said. “The prime minister said that since they have received a decisive mandate, the wellbeing and welfare of the citizens is his main objective.”

Press freedom in Nepal has always been a priority for the EU, “but we are also aware of the trolls, digital trolls, abuse, and digital gender violence”, she added, lauding Nepal for being the freest country in the region.

“Personally, we have not noticed the deteriorating situation of press freedom in Nepal, which we discussed with civil society members. We have seen many critical articles about the prime minister in Nepali media.”

Lorenzo brushed off the allegation that the EU had a hand in last year’s Gen Z movement in Nepal.

“But we always give priority to the youth. We have a number of youth focused programmes…. we count and hear the opinions and views of the youths. We invest in the youth because they are the social, political and economic future of any country and take their opinion seriously,” she said.

The increasing number of Nepali students and diasporas in various European countries pursuing higher education and jobs have become the hallmark of bilateral ties and people-to-contact, the EU ambassadors said, expressing their desire to work and collaborate with Nepal in different areas.

Jan Thesleff, the Swedish ambassador to India who is also accredited to Nepal, hailed the recent political change in Nepal. “You have [had] a dramatic change… we were distantly watching you, but now we saw it much closer,” he said. “It’s time for Nepal”

Italian ambassador to India, Antonio Bartoli, also echoed the same sentiment about the political change in Kathmandu and the prime minister saying, “you have all cards to play, but you need to play them well.”

One of the pressing diplomatic issues is removal of Nepal from the EU air safety list. Lorenzo said that every single minister in Nepal has worked towards that direction. “We hope there will be some progress in the future.”

On the law governing Nepal’s civil aviation, she said: “We never urged for change in legislation. We had only urged for [the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s] independent functioning to end the conflict of interest.”

The EU was assured of a change, but in the last one-and-a-half years, Nepal never did that. “There is a new director general at the civil aviation authority of Nepal and so we are hoping to work with him closely,” Lorenzo said.

Prime Minister Shah reportedly said that he is fully aware of the urgency of the current moment and the “profound responsibility entrusted to me”.

According to Deepa Dahal, press and research advisor to the prime minister, the PM clarified that the March elections had delivered a clear and decisive mandate for good governance and inclusive economic prosperity. Policy continuity will be maintained despite the formation of a new government, the prime minister pledged.

“Being new does not mean being completely detached from the past. We are fully committed to protecting democratic values and maintaining political stability while ensuring that Nepal’s policy direction remains clear, stable, and predictable,” Shah said.

He reiterated that the government under his leadership was committed to good governance and inclusive economic growth in Nepal. He stated that the government aims to benefit from global markets, simplify procedures to attract large-scale investments, encourage innovation, and achieve sustainable development in order to create new opportunities for the people.

Prime Minister Shah also clarified that Nepal would continue to follow a balanced and pragmatic foreign policy. “Our relations with our neighbours, development partners, and friendly nations are guided by the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and shared prosperity,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to all of Nepal’s development partners and friendly nations for their continued goodwill and support towards Nepal’s development and prosperity. He also emphasised Nepal’s commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, green energy, climate action, tourism, and other key sectors.

Shah stressed that at a time when conflicts continue to affect various parts of the world, ordinary civilians are the ones suffering the most. He emphasised that dialogue, diplomacy, and international law should be prioritised over military confrontation in maintaining peace.

At the meeting, ambassadors of the European Union based in Kathmandu and New Delhi, along with other ambassadors stationed in Kathmandu, praised Nepal for conducting peaceful elections. They also congratulated Prime Minister Shah for leading the new government with a mandate for good governance, economic development, and prosperity. They noted that they are ready to cooperate with and invest in Nepal in various sectors to support economic growth and prosperity.

Lorenzo stated, “The EU’s partnership with Nepal continues to grow stronger. Our productive dialogue with government, private sector, civil society, and youth leaders have shown us the vast opportunities ahead. TeamEurope is ready to work hand-in-hand with Nepal to address challenges like job creation, sustainable growth, and inclusive development for the benefit of our citizens.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors from the EU and Thailand, Russia, Australia, Myanmar, the UAE, Norway, Finland, Malaysia, and Brazil highlighted major areas of cooperation and expressed support to the new government in delivering results for the benefit of Nepali people.

“Reiterating Nepal’s balanced and pragmatic foreign policy, the prime minister underscored that Nepal’s engagement with its neighbours, development partners and friendly countries is guided by the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality and shared prosperity. He appreciated the continued goodwill and support extended to Nepal's development efforts and hoped for an enhanced level of cooperation in the days to come,” the foreign ministry stated.

The prime minister expressed the government’s goal of benefiting from global markets, attracting greater investment through streamlined procedures, encouraging innovation and achieving sustainable development. He expressed the government’s eagerness to deepen partnership across key sectors, including trade, investment, green energy, climate action and tourism.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Political Adviser to the prime minister Asim Shah, Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and other senior government officials were present during the meeting.