Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has been appointed the new Foreign Minister of Nepal on July 15 following a recent change in the government.
Spouse of former Prime Minister and President of the Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, the newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rana, emphasized Nepal’s strong belief in the non-aligned movement and Panchsheel, or the five principles of peaceful coexistence.
Meanwhile, the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has congratulated Rana on her appointment and extended best wishes for her successful tenure. According to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indian External Affairs Minister said he looks forward to working together with Minister Rana to make multidimensional India-Nepal ties more amicable.
Similarly, in a letter of best wishes to the newly appointed Foreign Minister Rana, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, expressed his eagerness to work with Minister Rana on matters of mutual interest and advantage, according to the Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu.
Speaking to the media after taking office, Minister Rana stressed that Nepal should maintain balanced ties with all countries, especially neighbors. She emphasized the Foreign Ministry’s crucial role in the country’s prosperity and her commitment to advancing economic diplomacy for the country’s development. “Since Nepal has signed various treaties, agreements, and commitments, the implementation aspect could contribute to leveraging economic diplomacy to nurture Nepal’s national interests.”
She committed to making greater efforts to rescue Nepali citizens caught in wars in other nations.
Rana currently represents the Nepali Congress in the House of Representatives. Despite being a lawmaker several times, this is her first ministerial appointment. Nepal has some border issues with India and other issues with China. She stated that geopolitics is a difficult matter that requires a lengthy process to resolve.
She characterized her new role as “historic” and said she would utilize the opportunity productively. Minister Rana is generally known as a pro-woman activist fighting for women’s rights, reproductive health rights, property rights, and fair and equitable representation of women in every governmental apparatus.
Born in Kathmandu in January 1962, she holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology from Punjab University Chandigarh, India. Prior to her appointment, she was affiliated with numerous national and international organizations, providing her with rich experience. Many political experts feel she is the right choice as the foreign minister of the small Himalayan nation
