Urja Khabar
Kathmandu; Diplomats and analysts have called for developing new energy diplomacy at a time when a debate is being created to extend integrated energy markets in all over the South Asian countries.
Speaking at the seventh session of the ‘Energy Conference, 2023’, being held in Kathmandu, the sector’s analysts expressed the view. The session was chaired by the Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
Arun Kumar Subedi, a political analyst, said that the dimensions of diplomatic relations have been changing because of the changing internal political situation that affects a wide range of areas. "In the past, a specific type of diplomacy drove the relationship with India and other countries established relations with India and regional countries," he said. “At present, the issue of clean energy development and its utilization is being raised globally. So, new diplomacy should be devised accordingly.”
Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and former member of Nepal-India Eminent Persons’ Group, Mahendra P. Lama, said there is a need for a new type of diplomatic relations in terms of common utilization and expansion of available resources in the regional countries. "We have to develop a new and specific type of energy diplomacy at the regional level so that it can benefit a large number of local people from the region."
Tariq A Karim, director at the Center for Bay of Bengal Studies, Independent University of Bangladesh, said that control-based diplomacy cannot work in proper utilization of energy resources available in regional countries. "Natural resources are connected not only to the nation but also to the sentiments of the general public," he said, "there is a need to take the electricity market with open and liberal thinking."
In the discussion, former chairperson of Jawaharlal Nehru University International Studies Center, Professor Sanjay Bhardwaj stressed on the need for linking the context of regional electricity trade with 'nationalization of resources'. "As South Asian countries have now become members of a single community, some of our political issues are also alike," Bhardwaj said. According to him, attention should be paid to the integration and utilization of resources also to lift the South Asian countries from existing poverty.
Lhonpo Leki Dorjee, Bhutan’s former Minister of Economic Affairs, said Bhutan and India have built unique diplomatic relations which has been providing a base to expand the bilateral electricity trade. "For the first time, Bhutan and India entered into agreement for joint investment on the 27 megawatt project in 1961, which has developed into a separate diplomatic relations over time," he said.
Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the pace of development, diplomatic relations and energy, together have moved forward. According to him, electricity infrastructure is the foremost condition of development, which requires sufficient investment. "As the investment is insufficient in South Asia, there is no other option than to manage it along with taking forward the discourse of energy marketing," he added.
