Nepal–Spain relations

Nepal–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Nepal has an embassy in Madrid. Spain is accredited to Nepal from its embassy in New Delhi, India.[1]

Nepal-Spain relations

Nepal	Spain

Diplomatic relations

Nepal maintains full diplomatic relations with Spain since May 14, 1968, however the lack of high-level contacts and visits in recent years, as well as the practical absence of economic and commercial relations means that bilateral relations do not have a broad content.[2]

On September 19, 1983, the Kings of Nepal made a state visit to Madrid, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Padma Bahadur Khatri. Bahadur met with his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Morán. The Kings of Spain, accompanied by Infanta Cristina, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Fernández Ordonez, traveled to Nepal from November 22 to 25, 1987.[2]

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation of Nepal, Prithvi Suba Gurung, visited Spain in mid-November 2007 with the aim of promoting business relations and contacting Spanish investors, mainly from the tourism sector. Pampha Bhusal, Nepalese Minister of Social Affairs, traveled to Madrid in early 2008 where he became interested in the operation of the juvenile centers of the regional government and showed interest in the 74 Nepalese minors adopted since 2003 Madrid families.[2]

In accordance with the initiative to deepen relations with Nepal, the Action Plan towards Asia and the Pacific in its third period 2008-2012 seeks to intensify political contacts with the new Government and authorities in Nepal. In addition, the feasibility of AECID financing a cooperation project in support of children and / or promotion of women, which would be presented by the United Nations Population Fund, with an office in Kathmandu, with the support of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare of Nepal; In this sense, the United Nations has been asked to present a project. In addition, given the importance of adoptions by Spaniards in Nepal in recent years, and the collaboration shown by the Nepalese authorities, it seems appropriate to carry out a cooperation project on the matter, especially taking into account that Nepal needs foreign cooperation to address the situation of existing generalized poverty.[2]

Regarding the work of public diplomacy, the sending of a Casa Asia Friendship mission is included in the program, consisting of the visit of a delegation with the objective of establishing contacts and taking steps to achieve a greater bond with civil societies from that country.[2]

Economic relations

Nepal's GDP created 4.6% in 2012, reaching $19.46 billion, compared to 18.1 billion the previous year. Given its population of 26.6 million inhabitants, the per capita income in 2012 was approximately 1,300 dollars. The foreign sector has been balancing in recent years until reaching a balance (slight surplus) in the current account balance.[3]

Regarding the sectoral distribution of GDP, it can be said that it is an eminently agrarian economy, since agriculture accounts for one third of GDP but employs more than two thirds of the active population. It is also an economy highly dependent on tourism and remittances from Nepalese emigrants.[3]

The services grouped in "Commerce, hotels and restaurants, transport and communications", represent 24.4% of GDP while "financial and real estate" services represent 12.4% of GDP and "social services" 10, 4%. As for the industrial sector, it is noteworthy its low weight in the country's economy.[3]

Manufacturing and construction account for 6.4% and 6.1% of GDP respectively. The difficult political moments that Nepal is going through are reflected in the country's economy, with serious imbalances in all orders. From the internal point of view, its high unemployment stands out (which has led to an increase in emigration: an estimated 700,000 Nepalese work outside the country, which send remittances worth about 1,000 million dollars to the country), their low rate of growth, taking into account that it is a developing country, and its high inflation.[3]

Regarding external imbalances, Nepal has a strong deficit in the balance of goods that must always be compensated with income from tourism and with remittances from emigrants. In some years these two items served to compensate for the deficit in the balance of goods (2008), but in 2009 they were not enough and the current account deficit reached 437 million dollars.[3]

Cooperation

Spain has not initiated, for the moment, projects at the central government level in the field of development cooperation in Nepal. There is no TBT in the Indian territory that manages cooperation, nor regional cooperation agencies at the level of Autonomous Communities. Spanish cooperation in the country is managed multilaterally through different international organizations involved in existing cooperation projects in Nepal, most of which are inserted into the UN system. There are several international organizations for cooperation in Nepal with Spanish participation: UNDP, United Nations Population Fund, UNIFEM, UNIDO, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR, FAO, World Food Program, ILO, World Bank, IMF, International Committee of the Red Cross. There are also 9 Spanish NGOs acting in Nepalese territory.[4]

References

1. Ficha de Nepal Diplomatic Information office. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Data of the Spanish Representation.
2. Ficha de Nepal Office of Diplomatic Information. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Diplomatic relations.
3. Ficha de Nepal Diplomatic Information office. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Economic relations.
4. Ficha de Nepal oficina de Información Diplomática. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación. Sección: Cooperación.