Seizing the Moment: Balen Shah and the Future of Nepal–India Relations

The meeting between Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on June 6 may not have dominated headlines across South Asia, but it could prove to be one of the most consequential diplomatic engagements between the two countries this year. At a time when regional politics is increasingly shaped by uncertainty and geopolitical competition, Nepal and India appear to be quietly building momentum around a relationship rooted not in grand declarations but in practical cooperation.