The government has decided to establish a residential embassy in Portugal, a European country.
A cabinet meeting held recently took a decision to this effect, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Nepalkhabar. But the decision is kept confidential.
Sources claim that the decision to open a new embassy was made from the pressure of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
An ambassador will be appointed to Portugal under the quota of Nepali Congress this time, according to the source.
"This decision was made according to the plan to appoint a leader, businessman or someone close to Deuba as an ambassador", the source told Nepalkhabar.
A source close to the Prime Minister said that Deuba and Prime Minister Prachanda had struck a deal on this matter before the cabinet meeting.
Opening a new embassy will incur a financial burden of billions of rupees annually.
Currently, Nepal has 40 diplomatic missions abroad including 30 residential embassies, 3 permanent missions, and 7 consulates general, for which billions are spent annually from the state coffer. However, the return on investment made by the state in those missions is nominal.
They are seen as a recruitment center for government employees, and cadres and leaders loyal to political parties in power.
The role of the embassy in Nepal's diplomacy is considered important. The embassy has to play a role in strengthening bilateral ties while keeping in mind the interests of Nepal and the rights of Nepali migrant workers.
On the one hand, there have been comments from diplomatic circles that the performance of the Nepali Embassy and Missions is not satisfactory, and on the other hand, there are insufficient staffers in the embassies in the Gulf and other countries where there is a concentration of Nepali migrant workers.
Economists and foreign experts are repeatedly suggesting that the number of embassies be reviewed. But contrary to those suggestions, the government has decided to open a new embassy.
The Prachanda-led government in its budget statement last May had said that it would review the number of embassies. But now, under the political pressure of ruling Congress, the government has decided to open an embassy in Portugal.
