Diplomatic/Political Relations
Nepal and Belgium established diplomatic relations on 19 August 1963. The relations between Nepal and Belgium have been marked by goodwill, trust and mutual respect. Both countries share common views on many issues and have been supporting each other in various international fora, including the United Nations.
Nepal opened its residential embassy in Brussels in 1992. The Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi is concurrently accredited to Nepal. Belgium has its Honorary Consulate in Kathmandu.
Meetings/exchange of visits:
Exchange of visits and contacts at various levels have further strengthened the bilateral ties between the two countries. Such visits include the visits of the head of the states, head of governments, foreign ministers and other high-level dignitaries from both sides.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba visited Belgium in December 2024 and had a bilateral meeting with H.E. Bernard Quintin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium. Both the Foreign Ministers discussed the ways to scale up economic engagements between the two countries including through investments in priority sectors.
In the past, Prime Minister Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba (2002), Prime Minister Shushil Koirala (2014) and Crown Prince Dipendra (1997) visited Belgium.
Recent visit from the Belgian side was the visit of Princess Astrid, the younger sister of the King of Belgium, in January 2020. King Albert II in 1980s and King Phillippe in 1998 visited Nepal.
Bilateral Consultation Mechanism
The MoU on establishing Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) between the Foreign Ministries of Nepal and Belgium was signed on 27 June 2018. The Mechanism was operationalized with the convening of its first meeting in September 2019 in Kathmandu. The second meeting of the Mechanism was held in Brussels in February 2023.
Nepal-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group
With a view to further strengthening the parliamentary relations between the two countries, a six-member Nepal-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group has been formed in the Federal Parliament of Nepal in December 2024.
Development Cooperation
Belgium has contributed to Nepal’s development efforts by providing its cooperation through multilateral channels such as the UN, EU and international financial institutions. It also channels its cooperation through the NGOs, both local and Belgian.
One of the major areas in which Belgian financial and technical cooperation has left visible marks is the area of telecommunication. The concessional state-to-state loans provided by Belgium to Nepal to implement the sixth telecommunication project during 1990’s contributed to upgrading the then existing telephone exchange into digital.
Nepal Red Cross and Red Cross Flanders have close collaboration. At present, Belgian Red Cross is involved in Nepal with some grassroots projects in some districts of Nepal.
Trade and Investment
Looking at the trade data of last few years, the trade balance is heavily in the favour of Belgium. Readymade garments, woollen goods, ready-made garments, handmade papers and handicrafts are main items Nepal exports to Belgium. Similarly, textile materials, machinery and parts, industrial raw materials, electrical goods, research equipment were main import items from Belgium. The table below reflects the export/import trends between the two countries.
|
Year |
Exports |
Imports |
Trade Balance |
|
2021 |
3240 |
32,735 |
-29,495 |
|
2022 |
3481 |
85,876 |
-82,395 |
Source: TEPC
As of July 2023, there were 27 projects with the total Belgian FDI of NRs. 306.24 million, creating employment opportunities for 765 people.
Tourism
Nepal is popular destination among the Belgian tourists, especially for trekking, cultural and adventure attractions. Around 6,000 Belgian tourists visit Nepal every year.
Europe America Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
As of January 2025
