EU Blacklist Issue: What Are the Government’s Active Diplomatic Pressures and Strategies?

Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to lift the European Union’s ban on Nepalese airlines. Senior officials have indicated that a bill addressing the key concerns may be presented to parliament within about a month. On Tuesday, non-resident ambassadors and mission chiefs from EU-affiliated countries held a group meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah. Over the past two days, 22 EU ambassadors and deputy heads of mission have met with Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadkaraj Paudel, and Education Minister Sasmita Pokharel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the government is “actively implementing reforms” and called for the removal of restrictions imposed on Nepalese airlines through the EU’s aviation safety blacklist.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s meeting with EU member state ambassadors came after his assumption of office, following a collective dialogue on Chaitra 25 (Nepali calendar) with ambassadors and diplomatic mission chiefs of various countries in Nepal. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, although there was no specific mention about the long-pursued removal of Nepal from the EU blacklist, the Prime Minister affirmed that policy continuity will persist despite the formation of the new government.

Jaynarayan Acharya, Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, described the dialogue addressing EU concerns as “in-depth.” “There are currently no obstacles in the dialogue. Particularly, amendments to our Civil Aviation Act are necessary. We are preparing to separate the regulatory and operational bodies, and the draft law has already been prepared. The ministry is ready to establish the regulatory body,” he said.

During discussions with EU representatives, he added, “Communication, diplomatic lobbying, and necessary improvements have all been discussed, and the process is moving forward.” Experts note that Nepal’s inclusion on the EU’s safety list sends a global message that the country’s aviation safety standards are weak. Rajkumar Kshetri, former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, stated, “We are unable to send any aircraft to Europe. No new companies will be allowed to operate flights to Europe in the future. This is also why no aircraft from Europe have been permitted to land in Nepal.”