Kathmandu [Nepal], December 18 : Nepali President Ram Chandra Paudel on Wednesday appointed Shankar Prasad Sharma as Nepali ambassador to India.
Along with Sharma, the President also appointed Netra Prasad Timilsina as Nepali Ambassador for Malaysia.
As per the release from the Office of the President, the appointments were made as per Article 282 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal 2072, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
Sharma has previously served as Nepal's envoy to India from March 2022 to July 2024. He returns to the post after receiving Agrement from India which came in on December 13.
The Agrement came two and half months after Nepal had proposed India's appointment of Sharma as the ambassador. Sharma was recalled on May 2024 in his earlier appointment after the change in the coalition back in Kathmandu. He continued on the post for two more months and flew back to Nepal as the coalition of CPN-UML and the Maoist Center decided to call back envoys from 11 nations.
After a new alliance of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML was formed in August this year, he was again recommended as Ambassador to India. Sharma's as well as Timilsina's appointments were endorsed by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee in September.
Notably, Nepal shares border with five Indian states, Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. India-Nepal relations are defined by the deep-rooted people-to-people links, and commonality in religion, language and culture of both countries, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
These bonds of friendship has defined the regular exchanges at high level between India and Nepal, which has increased in frequency in recent years, strengthening the relations further.
Both nations also have long-standing and extensive mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of defence and security. Indian and Nepal Army have been working together on the modernisation drive of the Nepali Army providing capacity building, equipment, Joint military exercises etc.