US-Nepal and India: Trilateral Relationson Global and Regional Strategic Perspective

Abstract

In the first section of paper, author has tried to clarify the indispensable and indivisible history of foreign policy of India with Nepal. Although Nepal’s foreign policy was always measured with comparing with our neighbouring nation as like Sino-Nepal relations will have the four basic characteristics with ‘c’ – cooperation, competition, confrontation and conflict. The concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) must be recognized and furnished by the foreign policy of Nepal. India is our strategic partner since time immoral. Nepal’s foreign policy is always been guided by the foreign policy of India and we shall see some similarities between these two countries foreign policy. India is revising their regional policy nowadays. They are also reviewing their regional involvement since 1947. A recent report says that “Non Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for India in the Twenty First Century’,a future policy of India must becentred on three “core objectives”: “To ensure that India did not define its national interest or approach to world politics in terms of ideologies and goals that had been set elsewhere; that India retained maximum strategic autonomy to pursue its development goals; and that India worked to build national power as the foundation for creating a just and equitable world order.

The second section of paper will illustrate the West eyes on East and our non- parallel rate of economic growth and benefit of Nepal from India’s growth. In the U.S.A. strategic guidance released in January 2012 has said that USA has shifted its strategic interest and priorities from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including the East and South Asia where these two giants are being situated. “U.S economic and security interest are inextricably linked to developments in the arc extending from the Western Pacific and East Asia into the Indian Ocean region and South Asia, creating a mix of evolving challenges and opportunities. Accordingly, while the US military will continue to contribute to security globally, we will of necessity rebalance toward the Asia- Pacific region” India is reformulating her bilateral ties with US and also ties with China to walk in line with changing scenario of world politics. We are secured in the sense that US have never shown her interest in Nepalese soil directly but have been played with Indian card. Nepal also needs to reformulate its bilateral ties with US independently keeping our strong relation with India.

The last section of paper will reconsider the possibility of Nepal’s further development and presence in some of Forums where India is taking lead. Such as, in SAARC, Indian diplomat J.N. Dixit has written that “time has come for the SAARC not shy away from becoming a forum for discussion on political issues which afflict then countries in the region” This forum shouldn’t limit to trade and co-operation in this regional level but most be favourable platform to discuss each country internal political conflicts.