Political/Diplomatic
Nepal and Ireland established diplomatic relations effective from 19 August 1999. The Nepalese Ambassador to London is concurrently accredited to Ireland while the Irish Ambassador to India is concurrently accredited to Nepal.
The Irish Government has been supportive of the political process of Nepal. The Irish President, Prime Minister, Speaker and the Foreign Minister extended messages of congratulations to their Nepali counterparts on their elections/appointments. The President of Ireland, Mr. Michael D. Higgins, attended as the Chief Guest in Nepal-Ireland Day organized in 2018 in Dublin to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Meetings and exchange of visits
- The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, had a meeting with H.E. Mary Robinson, he former President of Ireland, on the sidelines of the High-Level Event, ‘Women in Power’ in New York on 12 March 2019.
- Speaker of the Irish Parliament Rt. Hon. Fearghaíl visited Nepal leading a five member parliamentary delegation in September 2019.
- Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and his Irish counterpart, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, held a virtual meeting on 18 May 2020.
Cooperation
Ireland has been supporting Nepal through the channel of the EU. In the aftermath of devastating earthquake of 25 April 2016, the Irish Government provided humanitarian assistance including relief items. A five-member Irish Rapid Response Corps was deployed in Kathmandu.
Trade and Investment
Readymade garments, Nepali paper products, silk fabrics, silver jewellery are main items Nepal exports to Ireland. Similarly, processed food and electrical goods were main import items from Ireland. Nepal has been experiencing ups and downs in balance of trade with Ireland over the past years. The following figures reflect the exports to and imports from Ireland of the past few years.
Value in USD
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade Balance |
| 2015 | 269,106 | 2,283,870 | -2,014,764 |
| 2016 | 249,573 | 3,445,090 | -3,195,517 |
| 2017 | 315,276 | 3,616,596 | -3,301,320 |
| 2018 | 45,774,975 | 418,271,797 | -372,496,822 |
| 2019 | 12,394,238 | 225,550,265 | -213,156,027 |
Source: TEPC
According to the statistics published by the Department of Industry, the cumulative amount of foreign direct investment from the UK stands at Rs. 371 million until 15 July 2020. There are 9 projects operating with Irish investment, generating employment for 429 people.
Tourism and people to people contacts
Though there are few tourists coming to Nepal from Ireland, the number could be enhanced through promotional activities in the Irish cities. In recent years, the number of Irish tourists visiting Nepal stands at around 3,000 annually. During the Nepal-Ireland Day, Irish Mountaineers who have scaled the top 10 highest mountains in Nepal were felicitated by the Embassy of Nepal in London, Nepal Tourism Board and NRNA.
There is increasing people-to-people level relations between the two countries, contributed by presence of vibrant Nepali diaspora in Ireland as well as visit of Irish tourists to Nepal. Over 2,500 Nepali nationals, including overseas students, live in Ireland pursuing various professions.
Europe and the Americas Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
July 2020