Nepal 2018: The Communist search for new political and trade routes

This article traces the main events of the internal situation and foreign policy of Nepal in 2018, after the electoral victory of the far-left parties and the defeat of the Nepali Congress at the end of 2017 and the consequent birth of the Oli government. The unification of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the subsequent birth of the Nepal Communist Party are central to the ongoing and complex readjustment of Nepali politics. In terms of international relations, the Oli government bends the Nepalese axis towards a deeper relationship with China. This position aims to break the risk of geopolitical and economic isolation to which Nepal is exposed. The country has no access to the sea and the Himalayan chain in the north should therefore become, in the following years, the geographic space for new communication routes in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The final part of the article provides analysis of the Nepalese economic situation. Despite experiencing a period of growth after the earthquake of 2015, the economy of the country continues to suffer.

Matteo Miele | Kokoro Research Center – Kyoto University | miele.matteo.74m@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp