Chiranjang Thapa, Nepal’s proposed ambassador to the United States, presented his work plan to the Parliamentary Hearing Committee in Kathmandu on Monday, pledging to represent Nepal diligently and use the capabilities of more than 250,000 Nepalis living in the US for the country’s benefit. He said he would work to make Nepal-US relations a means of economic prosperity and diplomatic coordination, while raising Nepal’s profile in Washington, DC.
Diaspora as a resource for Nepal
Thapa’s plan places the Nepali community in the United States at the centre of his proposed diplomatic approach. He told the committee that he would seek to use the skills and resources of more than 250,000 Nepalis living there to benefit Nepal. His pledge presents the diaspora not only as a community to be represented, but also as a source of capabilities and resources that could be connected to Nepal’s interests.
The proposed ambassador did not, in the details provided, identify specific programmes or sectors through which that contribution would be organized. His stated commitment was broader: to draw on the community’s capacities for Nepal’s benefit. The scale he cited - more than a quarter of a million Nepalis in the United States - was the basis he gave for including diaspora engagement among his priorities.
That focus was part of a wider description of how he would approach the ambassadorial role. Thapa said he would serve as a diligent, fearless, loyal and excellent diplomat. His remarks framed those qualities alongside the practical aims of engaging the diaspora, advancing Nepal-US relations and strengthening Nepal’s presence in the US capital.
Economic prosperity and diplomatic coordination
Thapa said Nepal-US relations should become a means of economic prosperity and diplomatic coordination. The pledge sets out two linked objectives: using the bilateral relationship to support Nepal’s economic interests and maintaining coordination through diplomacy. He presented these as central aims of his proposed work, rather than describing specific agreements or measures that would deliver them.
The proposal makes the relationship itself a platform for pursuing Nepal’s interests, with diaspora engagement among the resources he intends to draw upon. Thapa’s remarks did not specify particular economic initiatives, timelines or targets. Instead, he told the committee that he would work toward making bilateral ties more useful to Nepal’s prosperity and diplomatic coordination.
His plan also includes a visible-diplomacy element. Thapa said he would seek invitations for Nepal to participate in important events in Washington, DC. He described this as a way to strengthen Nepal’s presence and identity. The pledge highlights his intention to use access to significant events in the US capital to make Nepal more visible, though the information provided does not name particular events or outline how invitations would be secured.
Building Nepal’s presence in Washington
The commitments presented to the committee bring together three themes: mobilizing the Nepali community in the United States, using bilateral relations to advance prosperity and coordination, and strengthening Nepal’s identity in Washington. Together, they outline how Thapa says he would approach representing Nepal if appointed to the ambassadorial post.
His stated priorities put both relationships and visibility at the centre of the proposed work plan. The diaspora pledge focuses on the skills and resources of Nepalis already living in the United States. The bilateral pledge focuses on economic prosperity and diplomatic coordination between the two countries. The Washington events pledge focuses on securing invitations that would give Nepal a stronger presence and identity in the capital.
Thapa presented these commitments at the Parliamentary Hearing Committee in Kathmandu as the proposed ambassador. His remarks set out his intended approach, but do not establish that the proposed initiatives have already been carried out. The plan, as presented, is a pledge to pursue diaspora-focused engagement and a stronger Nepalese presence through the country’s relationship with the United States.
