United States Bulletin, September 1987

Chronology of Relations Between the United States and Nepal, 1947-87

The following chronology was prepared by Evan M. Duncan, Office of the Historian, in March 1987.

The earliest known official contact between the United States and Nepal took place on June 10, 1910, when William H. Michael, the American Consul General in Calcutta, notified the Government of Nepal that Nepalese imports would be subject to the minimum tariff terms under the most recent American tariff legislation.

The first U.S. official visit to Nepal took place November 16-22, 1945. George R. Merrell, then Charge d'Affaires at New Delhi, presented the Legion of Merit to Prime Minister the Maharaja Padma Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana in recognition of the role played by Gurkha soldiers from Nepal in the British Army during World War II.

Earlier U.S. contacts included a visit in the fall of 1944 by Andrew Corry of the Foreign Economic Administration (FEA) in New Delhi. In the fall of 1945, Harry Witt of FEA and Lt. Alfred Brown, U.S. Army, visited Nepal to discuss the establishment of commercial relations. Cornelius van H. Engert, outgoing U.S. Minister to Afghanistan, visited Nepal in 1945, and Helen Nichols, Vice Consul at Calcutta, did so in 1946. Engert and Nichols were guests of the British Minister.

The first Nepalese official visit to the United States took place late in 1939, during the homeward journey of Gen. Krishna Rana, Nepal's Minister in London. His successor, Gen. Shinga Rana, also visited the United States late in 1945. In the summer of 1946, a Nepalese mission, headed by Commanding General Baber Rana, spent several weeks in the United States as guests of the State and War Departments. They were in Washington from July 25 to August 1.

March 22, 1947. The Department of State announced the despatch of a special diplomatic mission to Nepal. The mission included Joseph C. Satterthwaite, Samuel H. Day (Counselor for Economic Affairs, New Delhi), Raymond A. Hare, William C. Johnstone, Jr. (Chief Public Affairs Officer, New Delhi), Lt. Col. Nathaniel R. Hoskot (Assistant Military Attache, New Delhi), J. Jefferson Jones III (Vice Consul, Bombay), and Charles W. Booth (Vice Consul, Karachi).

Satterthwaite served as Personal Representative of the President with the personal rank of Minister during his mission to Nepal. He arrived in Kathmandu on April 13. On April 21, he presented a personal letter from President Harry S Truman to King Tribhuvan, by which the United States recognized the independence of Nepal.

April 25, 1947. An Agreement of Commerce and Friendship was signed in Kathmandu between the United States and Nepal. The agreement provided for the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations, established a standard for treatment of American nationals, and established a rule of nondiscrimination in future commercial relations. (TIAS 2198)

According to another exchange of notes that day, the U.S. Ambassador to India would be accredited also as Minister to Nepal, with personnel stationed in New Delhi and Calcutta being similarly accredited. Nepal would in turn establish a Legation under a Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Washington, and a Consulate in New York.

(Satterthwaite described his mission in "Mission to Nepal,' American Foreign Service Journal, August 1947, pp. 8-10, 32-40. He observed that, at the time, foreigners could only enter the country as the guest of, or with the consent of, the Prime Minister. Great Britain was the only European country to have an official mission in Nepal. There was no direct access to Nepal; the mission traveled by rail, road, and finally by pack train and sedan chair to Kathmandu.)

February 3, 1948. The Department of State announced that the United States and Nepal would exchange Ministers. Commanding General Kaiser Shum Shere Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepal's Ambassador to Great Britain, would also represent his country concurrently in Washington. He presented his credentials in Washington on February 19, 1948.
May 3, 1948. Henry F. Grady, U.S. Ambassador to India, presented his credentials as the first U.S. Minister to Nepal. Until 1959, U.S. diplomatic personnel accredited to Nepal were also accredited to, and resident in, India.

December 3, 1948. Loy W. Henderson, U.S. Ambassador to India and Minister to Nepal, presented his credentials in Kathmandu. He had been appointed July 14.

January 23, 1951. The United States and Nepal signed a General Agreement for Technical Cooperation (TIAS 2198) in New Delhi. The first project to be undertaken involved a survey of Nepal's mineral resources by Robert S. Sanford of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The first personnel assigned to Point IV economic development programs arrived in Nepal in January 1952. From 1952 to 1986, the United States provided more than $368 million in bilateral development assistance.

August 27, 1951. The Department of State announced that the United States and Nepal had agreed to upgrade their respective diplomatic missions to the rank of Embassy and to exchange ambassadors.

February 16, 1952. Chester Bowles, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, presented his credentials in Kathmandu. He had been appointed on October 10, 1951.

March 19, 1952. Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited Nepal during a world tour that lasted from December 31, 1951, to April 1, 1952.

June 2, 1952. The U.S. Information Service opened a library in Kathmandu.
February 24, 1953. Gen. Shanker Shumshere presented his credentials as Nepal's first Ambassador to the United States. He continued to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

July 5, 1953. George V. Allen, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, presented his credentials in Kathmandu. He had been appointed on March 11.

September 30-October 1, 1953. Senator Michael J. Mansfield became the first Member of Congress to visit Nepal. He was inspecting U.S. foreign assistance projects.
1954-1958. The United States and Nepal operated a joint cooperative services program in education.

January 22, 1954. Paul W. Rose was appointed as the first Director of the U.S. Operations Mission in Nepal. He had been in charge of agricultural development projects there since 1952.

March 13, 1954. King Tribhuvan died in Zurich, Switzerland, while undergoing medical treatment. His eldest son, Crown Prince Mahendra, succeeded him.

September 27, 1954. The Foreign Operations Administration (FOA) announced an emergency assistance program for Nepal, following floods and an earthquake that had killed over 1,000 people and left over 132,000 homeless. FOA authorized an expenditure of $75,000 for medical supplies, while Dr. Alexander Langmuir of the U.S. Public Health Service visited Nepal to determine the extent of further assistance. Aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas was authorized.

October 23, 1954. An emergency aid agreement was signed in Kathmandu by Nepalese Prime Minister Koirala and the head of the U.S. Operations Mission. The agreement granted $2 million to assist in reconstruction after a series of devastating floods. The Nepalese Government was to supplement the fund with one rupee for each dollar spent up to June 30, 1955.

June 3, 1955. John Sherman Cooper, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, presented his credentials in Kathmandu. He had been appointed on February 4.

October 10, 1955. King Mahendra announced a 5-year plan for economic development.
December 14, 1955. Nepal was admitted to the United Nations. The United States had supported Nepal's admission since 1949, but the question had been in abeyance as a result of disputes with the Soviet Union over the admission of additional nations.

February 2, 1956. The International Cooperation Administration (ICA) announced a $2 million grant of economic assistance to Nepal. Technical cooperation projects would involve insect control, development of village training schools, and teacher training. The teacher-training program involved a contract with the University of Oregon to train 1,750 teachers and to establish a 4-year teachers' college. A development assistance project involved a land survey and soil studies in the Rapti Valley, along with malaria control and construction of an access road. It was expected that development of the Rapti Valley would make over 100,000 acres of land available for agriculture.

April 10, 1956. President Eisenhower sent a delegation, headed by Dr. Charles W. Mayo, Director of the Mayo Clinic, to represent the United States at the coronation of King Mahendra, which took place on May 2. Lowell Thomas and Mrs. Virginia Bacon were appointed to the delegation on April 25. (Ambassador John Sherman Cooper was appointed as head of the delegation, but did not serve in this capacity.)

August 29, 1956. The United States and India signed an agreement (TIAS 3661) authorizing the sale of agricultural commodities for rupees. The agreement allowed funds acquired to be used to finance grants or loans to the Indian Government for economic development programs. Another surplus agricultural commodites agreement signed with India on November 13, 1959 (TIAS 4354), authorized the United States to use Indian rupees to purchase goods and services for agricultural development projects in India and other countries. These funds were subsequently used to finance economic development programs in Nepal.

August 1956. The Government of India announced that it would provide Nepal with 100 million rupees' worth of technical assistance and agricultural produce duce to assist Nepal's 5-year development plan. Negotiations were in progress gress for a joint project with the United States for the improvement of railways in Nepal.
January 1957. The Government of Nepal established a Planning Commission to implement its 5-year development plan.

March 8, 1957. Ellsworth Bunker, U.S. Ambassador to India and Nepal, presented his credentials in Kathmandu. He had been appointed on November 28, 1956.
January 2-6, 1958. The United States, India, and Nepal signed a tripartite agreement in New Delhi, under which they would allocate 50 million rupees for a 5-year road construction program in Nepal. The U.S. share in the program was $5 million over 3 years. The program was meant to build an additional 900 miles of hard-surfaced roads. (India and Nepal signed it at Kathmandu on January 2; the United States signed at New Delhi on January 6, when it went into effect.)

May 31, 1958. The United States and Nepal signed an agreement in Kathmandu providing for 10 major development projects. The United States would contribute $1,800,400, plus $346,000 worth of supplies, while Nepal would contribute 4 million rupees ($800,000). The projects included agricultural development, public works, industrial development centers, teacher training and educational programs, and public health services.

June 29, 1958. The United States, India, and Nepal signed a tripartite agreement in Kathmandu for the development of a telecommunications system. According to the plan, 56 radio stations would be established in Nepal, with additional stations in Delhi and Calcutta through which overseas communications would be directed. The United States was to contribute $1,350,000 and Nepal $57,000.

September 28, 1958. Russell Drake, Chief of the U.S. Operations Mission in Nepal, announced a revision in the general agreement for U.S. aid to Nepal. Henceforth the Government of Nepal would have sole authority over the administration of projects, while American personnel would only have an advisory role. Previously, American codirectors had been assigned to each project.

October 27, 1958. Rishikesh Shaha presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

January 1959. Nepal established an Embassy in Washington.

August 5, 1959. The U.S. Embassy was established in Kathmandu, with L. Douglas Heck serving as Charge d'Affaires ad interim.

November 25, 1959. Henry E. Stebbins presented credentials as the first resident U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on September 9.

April 27-30, 1960. King Mahendra and Queen Ratna made an official visit to Washington at the invitation of President Eisenhower; the King addressed a joint session of Congress on April 28. They then made a month-lone tour of the United States.

May 17, 1960. The United States and Nepal signed an investment guaranty agreement in Washington. (The agreement was amended June 4, 1963.) (TIAS 4477 and 5391)
July 29, 1960. The Department of State announced that the International Cooperation Administration would loan the equivalent of $1 million in Indian rupees to the Nepal Industrial Development Corporation to promote private industrial development. The rupees had been received from the sale of agricultural commodities to India under the PL 480 program, and an agreed minute signed with India on June 27 authorized their use for development projects in N4epal.

September 22, 1960. Prime Minister B. P. Koirala met with President Eisenhower in New York while attending a session of the UN General Assembly.

June 9, 1961. The United States and Nepal signed an agreement at Kathmandu for the financing of certain educational exchange programs. (TIAS 4845)
August 3, 1961. Matrika Prasad Koirala presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

September 6, 1961. Nepal signed the articles of agreement of the International Monetary Fund and of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
March 5, 1962. Nepal's National Planning Council announced a 3-year plan for economic development. The plan was to emphasize improvements in transportation and communication and the development of hydroelectric power. The United States was expected to provide 210 million rupees' worth of aid.

August 24, 1962. The United States and Nepal signed an agreement for the establishment of a Peace Corps program in Nepal (TIAS 5146). This eventually became the largest Peace Corps program, involving at its peak some 200 volunteers.
January 10, 1963. The United States, India, and Nepal signed an agreement to terminate their regional agreement of January 2 and 6, 1958, for the development of transportation facilities in Nepal.

May 1, 1963. Two members of a U.S. expedition reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Four other members of the expedition did so on May 23. This was the first American attempt to climb Mt. Everest and the fourth expedition to succeed in doing so since 1953.

January 1964. The United States and Great Britain responded favorably to a request by Nepal for security assistance. Over the next 4 years, the United States provided $1.8 million worth of utility vehicles, communications equipment, and hospital supplies to the Nepalese Armed Forces.

December 3, 1964. Maj. Gen. Padma Bahadur Khatri presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

December 5, 1966. Carol C. Laise presented her credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. She had been appointed on September 19.

October 30-November 9, 1967. King Mahendra and Queen Ratna made a state visit to the United States.
Crown Prince Birendra began 2 years' study at Harvard University.

January 3, 1967. Ambassadors Carol Laise and Ellsworth Bunker were married in Kathmandu. She was Ambassador to Nepal and he was Ambassador at Large (Ambassador to Vietnam after April 5, 1967). This was believed to be the first marriage between two U.S. Ambassadors on active duty.

March 21, 1968. King Mahendra suffered a heart attack during a hunting expedition in the Terai district. President Lyndon B. Johnson later sent a physician to assist in the King's treatment.

April 17, 1969. Kul Shekhar Sharma presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

January 5-6, 1970. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew visited Nepal during a 3-week visit to Asian nations. Astronauts Thomas P. Stafford and Eugene A. Cernan accompanied the Vice President and presented rock samples from the Moon to King Mahendra. February 20, 1970. Senator William B. Saxbe was appointed Personal Representative of the President at the wedding of Crown Prince Birendra on February 27.

January 31, 1972. King Mahendra died in Kathmandu and was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Birendra. King Birendra announced that he would continue his father's policies.

June 14, 1973. Yadu Nath Khanal presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

July 4, 1973. A royal decree forbade all trade in marijuana and hashish. On July 16, the Government of Nepal closed shops and restaurants selling cannabis or food preparations containing hashish to Western travelers.

September 28, 1973. William I. Cargo presented his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on July 16.

February 18, 1974. The United States signed a financial agreement with India to dispose of rupees received under PL 480 agricultural commodities sales. (TIAS 7831) India received $2.2 billion worth of development grants, representing two-thirds of the U.S. rupee surplus. The balance would be used to support U.S. Government activities in India. Up to 65 million rupees per year could be used to support economic assistance programs in Nepal over the next 3 years or to finance training of Nepalese citizens in India.

1974-1975. The United States and Nepal signed an agreement amending the June 9, 1961, agreement for financing certain educational exchange programs. The agreement expanded the commission administering the program from eight to ten members and ended a provision authorizing use of Nepalese or Indian money obtained through sales of surplus American agricultural commodities. The agreement was implemented by exchanges of notes at Kathmandu, July 10 and December 13, 1974, and May 18, 1975. (TIAS 8325)

February 19, 1975. Philip Buchen, Counsel to the President, was appointed to lead a delegation to represent the United States at the coronation of King Birendra on February 24. The delegation also included Ambassador William I. Cargo, Senator Charles H. Percy of Illinois, Representative L. H. Fountain of North Carolina, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Carol C. Laise, James E. Brown of Utah, Marquita M. Maytag of California, and U.S. Ambassador to Niger L. Douglas Heck.
February 25, 1975. The day after his coronation, King Birendra proposed that Nepal should be declared "a zone of peace.'

June 5, 1975. A grant agreement was signed in Kathmandu for construction of an 88-mile all-weather road in Nepal's western region. (TIAS 8801)

July 21, 1975. A project agreement was signed in Kathmandu for malaria control. (TIAS 8949)

January 13, 1976. A grant agreement was signed for improvement of the facilities of Tribhuvan University's Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences. (TIAS 8531) A second grant agreement for improvements to the University's Institute of Medicine was signed on February 4. (TIAS 8576)

January 23, 1976. Padma Bahadur Khatri presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

May 18, 1976. Marquita M. Maytag presented her credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. She had been appointed March 3.

June 30, 1976. An agreement was signed in Kathmandu relating to improvement of agricultural production technology. (TIAS 8799)

July 29, 1977. L. Douglas Heck presented his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on May 26.

August 4, 1977. Project agreements were signed in Kathmandu for the expansion and improvement of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences and for upgrading the capabilities of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Irrigation. (TIAS 8832 and 8948)

1978-1987. Nepalese troops took part in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
July 28, 1978. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged that the Boeing Company had made $52 million in questionable payments to obtain aircraft sales in 18 countries, including Nepal. On January 5, 1979, the United States and Nepal signed an agreement in Washington providing for legal cooperation in matters involving Boeing. (TIAS 9347)

August 31, 1978. Project grant agreements were signed at Kathmandu for a rural development program and for seed production and storage. (TIAS 9507 and 9508)
July 10, 1980. Philip R. Trimble presented his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on May 23. In 1976, Trimble had led a U.S. expedition to Mt. Everest.

August 29, 1980. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

August 31, 1980. Project grant agreements were signed in Kathmandu for research conservation and for rural health and family planning services. (TIAS 9852 and 9859)
November 9-12, 1980. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Richard N. Cooper visited Nepal.

July 3, 1981. Carleton S. Coon, Jr., presented his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on June 11, 1981. His wife, Jane Abell Coon, served simultaneously as Ambassador to Bangladesh. The Coons were the first married career Foreign Service officers to rise together to ambassadorial rank.
August 26, 1981. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, visited Nepal.

December 5-13, 1983. King Birenda made a state visit to the United States. President Reagan announced that next year's economic assistance would be greater than the $13.5 million provided in 1983. He also endorsed the King's proposal to make Nepal a "zone of peace.'

September 21, 1984. Leon J. Weil presented his credentials as U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He had been appointed on August 13.

December 23, 1984. The United States and Nepal signed agreements for five projects involving agricultural research, rural development, health and family planning, education, and conservation. Nepal received $13,569,000 in grant assistance.
January 14-17, 1985. Former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger visited Nepal. Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski had also visited Nepal at the beginning of the year.

October 10-15, 1985. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead visited Nepal during a tour of South Asia. His visit included a conference of U.S. Chiefs of Mission to South Asian countries.

October 17-29, 1985. Former President Jimmy Carter made a private visit to Nepal.
February 18, 1986. Bishwa Pradhan presented his credentials as Nepal's Ambassador to the United States.

May 30-June 1, 1986. An agreement was signed in Kathmandu concerning trade in cotton textiles. Administrative arrangements concerning Nepalese textile exports were made July 28 and August 18. Earlier in the year, the United States established a $34 million quota for Nepalese textile imports.

February 11, 1987. The United States and Nepal signed an agreement providing $2.1 million for research in renewable resources and reforestation.

Photo: U.S. and Nepalese officials gather on the steps of Gallery Hall in Kathmandu on the occasion of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Ambassador Satterthwaite is sixth from the left, front row.

Photo: Ambassador Bowles had to travel partly on horseback to Kathmandu to present his credentials in 1951.

Photo: A Peace Corps volunteer working on a suspension bridge.

Photo: Ambassador Laise is greeted by participants in a Farmers' Day program.
COPYRIGHT 1987 U.S. Government Printing Office
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group