With excitement over the imminent outcome of the US presidential elections and Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s victory expected, a new discourse on whether Washington’s foreign policy towards Nepal will change is likely to dominate in Nepali diplomatic and political circles in the coming days.

Diplomats and foreign policy observers say that although the fundamentals of US foreign policy in the region will remain largely unchanged and Biden’s election will not affect Nepal much, the style and conduct of its foreign policy is likely to be significantly different.

“Some major tensions in bilateral and multilateral fronts between the US and other countries and organisations are likely to cool down if Biden wins,” said Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali. “But fundamentally US policy towards Nepal will not change if Biden wins.”