ABSTRACT
Since the founding of the Nepali kingdom by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, foreign policy of the nation has always remained a top priority for the founder King and all his heirs and successors. The peculiar geo-physical and geo-strategic placement of Nepal necessitates the cautious approach required in the handling of the nation's international relations. And the history of Nepal's foreign policy since its founding has been an interplay of cautious and ambitious approaches. Balanced, non-aligned, isolationist, pro-British, independent, and equidistance are among the major approaches towards foreign policy adopted by Nepal in different phases and at different periods of time. In this regard, this chapter minutely observes and analyses the foreign policy of Nepal and its international orientation since the year 1950. The foreign policy till 1950 can simply be seen as a strategy for survival. And the foreign policy of Nepal necessitates special attention because of Nepal's success in maintaining its independence and dignity despite being a small landlocked nation placed between two huge and powerful nations, India and China. This chapter will be a study on independent, non-aligned, and balanced foreign policy.
