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Nepal-Finland relations from 1816-1958: Here are some unknown facts

Finnish Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim said of Nepal in 1937: ‘Only a few foreigners live there permanently…The country maintains friendly relations with England but is entirely independent.’

King Mahendra and Queen Ratna’s visit to Finland in 1958.

Kathmandu: Though Nepal and Finland established formal diplomatic relations on September 21, 1974, the countries had a lot of exchanges before that. Here are some interesting facts revealed by Finnish Embassy of Finland in Nepal in “The History of Finland-Nepal Relations” which was published on September 21 this year.  

Finnish newspapers the 1816 peace treaty signed between the British East India Company and the King of Nepal. A Finnish newspaper covered the Prussian prince’s extensive journey through Asia, including his visit to Kathmandu.

Despite this, Nepal remained a distant and rather unknown country from Finland’s perspective for many years.

In the early decades of the 20th century, Finnish newspaper readers were introduced to the mysterious kingdom largely inaccessible to Europeans, its Maharajas, the mighty Himalayan mountains including Mount Everest, the renowned Gurkha soldiers and their role in World War I as well as the discovery of Buddha’s birthplace.

Finnish Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim visited Nepal in 1937. Mannerheim is one the most significant characters in the history of independent Finland, a leader who charted the country’s course and a symbol of the Finnish defense against Soviet Union in Winter War of 1939-1940. 

In January 1937, Mannerheim was welcomed in Nepal by Maharaja Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana. Mannerheim told this to a Finnish newspaper about Nepal: “A country that very few Europeans had been to and which was quite difficult to access… Only a few foreigners live there permanently… Its Gurkha people are known for their warlike nature, and Kipling has sung praises of their bravery… The country maintains friendly relations with England but is entirely independent”.

King Mahendra and Queen Ratna Rajya Lakshmi visited Helsinki in June, 1958. They were welcomed by the Chief of Protocol from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit was considered as exceptional and unique, as Nepal still remained a mystical, far-away country to Finland. Finnish President Kekkonen hosted a lunch for the royals at his summer residence in Kultaranta.