Israel-Nepal relations
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Israel–Nepal relations, established on 1 June 1960, are the relations between Israel and Nepal making Nepal one of the first Asian countries to have diplomatic ties with Israel.
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960, had a strongly pro-Israel foreign policy. Various head of states, including king, head of government, ministers etc. have visited Israel and continued his foreign policy. Except for a brief 9 months period of Maoist government in Nepal, all other Nepalese government in general have had a strongly pro-Israel foreign policy. However, Nepal is not one of the nations that refrained from allowing Palestine an observer status unlike nations such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Czech Republic, and Nauru.
Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Israel were established on 1 June 1960. Since the establishment of ties, Nepal has supported Israel internationally. Israel opened its Embassy in Kathmandu in March 1961. The Nepalese Ambassador to Egypt was at first accredited to Israel. Nepal also opened the Nepalese Honorary Consulate General in Israel in 1993 and Embassy in 2007. The current Nepalese Ambassador to Israel is Baija Nath Thapalia, who presented his credentials to President Peres on March 19, 2008.
Nepal is the first and until recently only country in South Asia to recognize the existence of Israel. Nepal has maintained diplomatic relations and continues to support the right of Israel to exist within secure and internationally recognized boundaries. Nepal voted in favour of Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which upheld the right of all the states in the region to live in peace. Nepal has also welcomed every initiative from whatever quarter that seeks to resolve the Middle East problems like the Camp David Accord signed between Egypt and Israel in 1978 and the renewed peace process sponsored time to time by countries like the USA.
In 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed an Arab sponsored resolution (3379) that equated Zionism and racism and racial discrimination. Nepal expressed its reservation throughout the discussions on the issue and did not support the resolution. In the context of renewed peace in West Asia, the United States took the initiatives to introduce a draft resolution to repeal the resolution 3379 of 1975 in the 46th Session of the UNGA. A large majority adopted the draft resolution. Nepal voted in favour of the resolution. Israel, USA and the Western Countries appreciated Nepal's support for the resolution.
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