A rare coincidence has emerged as President Ramchandra Paudel and Vice President Ramsahay Yadav are both set to travel abroad around the same time. If no unexpected developments occur, President Paudel and Vice President Yadav will leave for official visits to Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) respectively, with a gap of just one or two days between their departures.
According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, friendly nation Japan has expressed its wish for President Paudel to visit in the first week of February (the third week of Magh). In line with this request, preparations have begun for the President’s visit to Japan.
Japan has shown interest in hosting President Paudel on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan. The two countries formally established diplomatic ties on Bhadra 17, 2013 BS (September 1, 1956).
“With the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21, Prime Minister Sushila Karki does not have plans for any foreign visits. That is why Japan proposed a presidential visit at the beginning of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations,” a Foreign Ministry official said. “Both the government and the President have responded positively, and preliminary preparations for the visit have started.”
President Paudel is regarded as one of the Nepali leaders with close ties to Japan. During his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Nepal–Japan Parliamentarian League was established in 1999. In recognition of his role in revitalizing parliamentary relations between the two countries and strengthening bilateral ties, Japan honored him five years ago with one of its prestigious awards, the Order of the Rising Sun.
The award was established in 1875 during the reign of Japanese Emperor Meiji. Japan announced its decision to confer the award on then Nepali Congress leader Paudel on April 29, 2020, and it was formally presented in Kathmandu on December 15, 2022 by then Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Kikutaka Yutaka.
It is widely believed that receiving this high-level Japanese honor, along with his decision to avoid attending a major military parade in Beijing, further strengthened Japan’s goodwill toward President Paudel. Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin last Bhadra, China had organized a ceremony in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Chinese people’s decisive victory against Japanese imperialism, including a large military parade on Bhadra 19.
Although China initially proposed President Paudel’s participation, concerns that Japan might be displeased led him to refrain from attending. Instead, then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli represented Nepal at both the SCO summit and the military parade at Tiananmen Square. Less than a week after returning from Beijing, Oli was ousted from power amid the “Gen Z” movement.
Observers believe that, in addition to honoring him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan’s decision to extend a red-carpet welcome to President Paudel in Tokyo at the beginning of 2026 may also be linked to his decision to avoid the Beijing parade, especially at a time when China–Japan relations remain strained.
Tensions between the two Asian powers have escalated further since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last November warning that Japan would respond if China took action against Taiwan. China has strongly objected to the statement, reiterating that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and demanding an apology.
As for the schedule of President Paudel’s Japan visit, the detailed itinerary has yet to be finalized. Japan is keen on arranging the visit in the first week of February, but final dates have not been confirmed. “Only after the dates are fixed will other programs be finalized,” the Foreign Ministry official said, adding that finalizing dates has been difficult due to overlapping commitments.
The challenge arises because Vice President Ramsahay Yadav has also received an invitation to attend the World Government Summit in Dubai, scheduled for February 3–5 (Magh 20–22), hosted by the UAE. This event was scheduled well in advance, with participation from many high-ranking officials from around the world already confirmed, making it difficult for Nepal to request a date change.
Since simultaneous foreign visits by the President and Vice President are generally seen as diplomatically undesirable, President Paudel is expected to visit Japan either before Vice President Yadav departs for the UAE or immediately after his return.
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