Nepalese ambassador to China, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey Photo: Qu Qiuyan/GT

There won't be any change in Nepal's one-China policy and there will not be any change in relations with neighbors and friendly countries, Nepalese Ambassador to China Mahendra Bahadur Pandey told the Global Times in a recent exclusive interview following the country's latest change of Premiership.

Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the Nepali Congress, won the support of more than half the members of the House of Representatives last month and was appointed as the country's new prime minister. The vote of confidence will allow him to stay in power until the general elections scheduled for next year. 

Some analysts said that they believed the Nepali Congress will likely lead Nepal's foreign policy to favor India and be distant from China. 

Ambassador Pandey said that Nepal's foreign policy and the national interests have been clearly defined in the constitution of Nepal. So unless the present constitution and the political system get changed, by only changing the premiership, there will not be any change in relations with neighbors and friendly countries. 

"But in its home affairs, there may be priority for the government programs changed on the basis of the vision and policy of the party from which the Prime Minister has been appointed," the ambassador said. 

For any country, the government can be changed but it can't change its neighbors and their systems. Nepal's confidence is that, it has all friends, not a single enemy does it have in the world, he noted. 

He stressed that the relations between China and Nepal are based on mutual respect, mutual benefits and good understanding of each other. The two countries are trustworthy neighbors and friends. 

Nepalese Prime Minister Deuba met with Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, on July 16. "I look forward to building a stronger relationship with China," he tweeted. 

For the prime minister, one of the most important tasks now is to combat the COVID-19 epidemic which is still engulfing the country. 

According to Pandey, even nowadays the rate of transmission is above 20 percent. "But people are being vaccinated. The trend seems to be declining. In fact, it is a vulnerable situation," he said. 

Nepal and China are neighbors and good friends, who help each other and share their experiences and achievements for the betterment of humankind. China successfully developed the means and medicines to control this pandemic. Although it has again appeared in some partsof China, its wise and timely efforts will contain it, said the diplomat. 

He noted that Nepal has to depend on its neighbors and friends for medical supplies. 

"Nepal, therefore, is in need of vaccines and other necessary medical supplies to control this pandemic. China has been contributing its best with materials to fight against the epidemic. So actually Nepal needs China's help in supplying vaccines and sharing of experiences to control this epidemic," he said. 

To help Nepal combat the epidemic, Ambassador Hou announced on Twitter on July 17 that the Chinese government will provide an additional 1.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal under grant assistance.

"Both Nepal and China can strengthen the foundation of friendship to fight against common enemies of peace and development around them and abroad by joining hands to achieve common goals. Thus they can cooperate with each other in fighting against both the pandemic and the common enemies of any form," Ambassador Pandey said, adding that several projects under the BRI in Nepal have to be implemented effectively.