Education, people-to-people ties strengthen Nepal-Japan friendship: Foreign Minister Khanal

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for stronger cooperation between Nepal and Japan in education, technology and innovation, saying academic exchanges and people-to-people ties have been central to strengthening bilateral relations.

Addressing the opening session of the South Asian Federation of Japanese Universities Alumni Associations (SAFJUAA) Symposium 2026 in Kathmandu on Thursday, Khanal said educational connections could build some of the strongest and most enduring relationships between nations.

As the two countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations, Khanal said their friendship dates back well before formal ties were established in 1956. He recalled Japanese Buddhist monk Ekai Kawaguchi’s visit to Nepal in 1899 and the arrival of eight Nepali students in Japan for higher education in the early 1900s.

He described Japan as one of Nepal’s trusted development partners, citing its contributions to infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and disaster resilience.

More than 300,000 Nepalis currently live in Japan, while Nepali students were the second-largest group of international students in the country last year, Khanal said.

He also thanked Japan for its assistance following recent floods in Nepal, including relief supplies, forensic expertise and support for DNA identification. He acknowledged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s expression of solidarity with flood victims during a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

Identifying education and human resource development, technological innovation, and climate change and disaster resilience as priority areas, Khanal called for stronger university partnerships, joint research and professional exchanges

He identified artificial intelligence, renewable energy and advanced engineering as potential areas of cooperation, while noting that Japan’s expertise in early warning systems, resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness could benefit Nepal.

Khanal said the next 70 years of Nepal-Japan relations should build on the existing foundation of friendship through greater investment in education, innovation and cooperation.