Old era of jingoism, equating Nepali nationalism with anti-Indianism, is over: Nepal Finance Minister — SkimNews
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- Swarnim Wagle made his first foreign trip as Nepal's Finance Minister to Delhi, a month after floods wrecked large areas, to discuss reconstruction with the Indian government.
- Nepal is mobilizing an estimated $5 billion recovery effort and Wagle will take the pitch to upcoming meetings of the AIIB, IMF, and World Bank.
- Balen Shah's government has called for a "reset" with India, including revising long-delayed trade and connectivity projects such as overflight rights for Nepal airports.
- Nepal said it wants to handle the border dispute with India in a "constructive" manner rather than letting it dominate the relationship.
- Wagle, an economist and former UNDP official, framed the moment as the end of "jingoism" that equated Nepali nationalism with anti-Indianism.
Why it matters: A new government in Kathmandu is choosing to open with Delhi rather than posture against it, and is pairing the diplomatic reset with a $5 billion reconstruction ask across the AIIB, IMF, and World Bank — meaning India and these lenders are now the ones being courted, not the other way around.
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