200 Years of Britain Nepal Relations

This year marks 200 years of diplomatic ties held between the UK and Nepal. Although formal diplomatic relations began in May 1934, both Nepal and the UK regard the Treaty of Sugauli, ratified in March 1816, as the starting point for diplomatic relations. Ultimately, Great Britain was the first nation to hold formal relations with Nep­­­­al. Ever since, friendship, mutual understanding and respect for each other's national interests and aspirations have characterised relations between the two countries.

In 1934 Nepal established a legation in London and the two countries exchanged Ministers Plenipotentiary and Envoys Extraordinary. The status of these representatives was promoted in 1947 to the level of Ambassadors, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Exchange of Visits:

Bilateral visits and periodic consultations at different levels have played a major role in furthering Nepal-UK relations.
Major Visits from Nepal:

1. Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Kunwar -1852.
2. Prime Minister Chandra Sumsher Rana -1908.
3. King Mahendra - October 1960 (state visit).
4. King Birendra - 1980 (state visit) and 1995 (to attend the 50th anniversary of the end of the World War II).
5. Prime Minister Man Mohan Adhikari - 1995.
6. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba - 1996 and 2002 (official visits).
7. Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai 1999.
8. Parliamentary delegations led by Speakers Daman Nath Dhungana and Tara Nath Rana Bhat - 1993 and 1999 respectively.
9. Deputy Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal -1995 and 2002 (the latter as the Opposition Leader at the House of Representatives).
10. Foreign Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani -1995.
11. Foreign Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat - 1999 (as a guest speaker at the Wilton Park conference).
12. Deputy Speaker Mrs Chitra Lekha Yadav - May 2000 (study tour) and 17-27 October 2007.
13. Parliamentary delegation led by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Shubash Chandra Nembang - January 2003.
14. Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa - 17-22 May 2003 (official visit).
15. King Gyanendra and Queen Komal - August 27 to September 7, 2003 (private visit).
16. Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal - 22-26 July 2007 (official visit).
17. Minister for Health and Population Girirajmani Pokhrel - 03-08 September 2007.
18. Minister of State for Health and Population Shashi Shrestha -18-20 October 2007.
19. Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokharel visited the UK from 10-11 July 2008 to participate 7th Assembly of Electoral Democracy.
20. Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Hisila Yami- 20-23 September 2008
21. Chief Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhi visited the UK- 11-16 June 2009 to participate in the International Conference of Jurists for Judicial Reforms in London.
22. 1.Vice President and Parliamentary Party Leader Ram Chandra Paudel visited the UK- 11-15 January 2010 to observe the parliamentary process and functioning in the UK.
23. Chief of Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung from 04-08 October 2010 (official visit).

Major Visits from the UK:

1. Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh paid official visits in February 1961 and February 1986. In 1986 the Queen was also accompanied by Lord Geoffrey Howe, CH QC PC.
2. Diana, Princess of Wales – 2-6 March 1993. 
3. British IPU delegation lead by Speaker Betty Boothroyd - 1994.
4. Prince Charles – 6-9 February 1998 (official).
5. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – 14-17 November 2000 (private visit under the auspices of the World Wildlife Fund).
6. Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Inge – 7-10 October 1993.
7. British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Liam Fox, Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 23-26 August 1996 (unofficial).
8. Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short - 12-17 November 1998 (official).
9. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Robin Cook – 20-21 April 2000 (first ever official visit by a British Foreign Secretary).
10. Geoffrey Hoon, M.P., Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, on 13-15 December 2000 (official visit).
11. Ben Bradshaw, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs – 19-20 February 2002.
12. Chief of the Defense Staff of the British Army Admiral Sir Michael Boyce – 24-28 May 2002 (official).
13. British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mike O'Brien – 9-11 October 2002 (official).
14. Rosalind Marsden, Director for South Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – 23-26 November 2002. 
15. Permanent Under Secretary of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sir Michael Jay – 6-7 December 2002.
16. British team headed by John Stephen Smith, Head, South Asia Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office – 3-6 February 2003. 
17. Tom Phillips, Director for South Asia of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 10-12 February 2003.
18. Richard Spring MP, Member of the House of Commons and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs – 19-23 February 2003. 
19. Sir Jeffrey James, Special Representative - March 8, 2003, June 7-15, 2003, November 30, 2003 and March 20- 2004.
20. Chief of the General Staff of the British Army, General Sir Mike Jackson – 1-6 November 2003 (official). 
21. Gareth Thomas, British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (PUSS) for International Development – 28-30 July 2004 and 2-4 April 2007.
22. Kim Howells, MP, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs –25-28 September 2006.
23. British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of the Department for the International Development (DFID), Shahid Mallik – 17-20 September 2007.
24. British Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Malloch Brown- 18-19 July 2008.
25. British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of the DFID Mike Foster- 31 March - 02 April 2009
26. Permanent Secretary in the DFID Ms. Nemat (Minouche) Shafik- 30 June- 01 July 2009
27. CGS General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO ADC GEN– 04-09 February 2010(official visit).
28. British Prime Minister's Special Representative for Peace Building Jack McConnell- 31 March 02 April 2010.
29. Minister of State Alan Duncan in the DFID- 26-28 May 2010.