Kathmandu– Suraj Vaidya, Honorary Consul General of the Philippines to Nepal, has stepped into a new leadership role after being unanimously elected as the Dean of the Honorary Consular Corps Nepal (HCCN). The transition took place at the HCCN general assembly on Thursday, where Vaidya—who previously served as president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI)—was chosen to lead the organization. He succeeds Bhola Bikram Thapa, the Honorary Consul General of Bulgaria to Nepal, while Pasang Dawa Sherpa was appointed as the new Vice Dean.
Outlining his goals for his tenure, Dean Vaidya emphasized that his core focus will center on driving foreign direct investment (FDI) into Nepal, intensifying tourism promotion globally, and strengthening the framework of economic diplomacy. Vaidya highlighted that HCCN currently represents over 64 countries, encompassing a combined population exceeding five billion people and an economic footprint of more than 100 trillion US dollars. He noted that leveraging this vast international network presents a massive window of opportunity for Nepal’s overall development, trade expansion, and technological growth, while pointing out that honorary consuls act as a vital bridge connecting governments and fostering collaboration between the private sector, investors, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions.
Addressing the assembly as the keynote speaker, foreign affairs analyst and retired Nepali Army Major General Binoj Basnyat stressed the importance of navigating shifting global dynamics. Basnyat urged Nepal to capitalize on changing global political landscapes, regional cooperation, and Indo-Pacific shifts to protect national interests, advocating for active engagement, balanced neighborly relations, and smart diplomacy to draw in knowledge, innovation, and development capital. Furthermore, he pointed out that Nepal’s diplomatic network of 41 embassies, 3 permanent missions, 10 consulate generals, and 64 honorary consulates must be fully optimized to drive economic partnerships.
Reflecting on his tenure, outgoing Dean Bhola Bikram Thapa shared key milestones achieved by the committee, noting that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to position HCCN as a strategic government partner in economic diplomacy. Thapa highlighted that HCCN can act as a force multiplier for technology transfer, trade, and tourism across its 64 represented nations, and added that a proposal aimed at improving queue management systems was submitted to the Passport Department to enhance service delivery for citizens, with implementation anticipated following final approvals.
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