Ms Leann Johnston the new Ambassador of Nepal to Australia, has said that she will work closely with the Nepalese government on local and international issues.

Johnston, who presented the certificate of status to President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday (12 September), said that the relationship between Australia and Nepal is strong. Ambassador said that it is a matter of pride to invest in Australia in Nepal.

She mentioned that she was excited to experience Nepal's natural beauty, high and diverse culture and warm hospitality. Leanne Johnston led the mission following the end of the previous Australian ambassador Felicity Volk's term.

“Our relationship is underpinned by a vibrant Nepalese community in Australia. Over 150,000 people of Nepalese heritage call Australia home.”

Ms Johnston is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Acting Australian High Commissioner in Abuja. She has previously served overseas in Fiji, France, Spain, Afghanistan, Kenya, Sweden, Germany, Türkiye and New Zealand.

In her message ambassador said that the year 2025 will mark the 65th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Australia and Nepal. Since the late 1980s, the friendship between our countries has flourished through formal links such as high-level visits, our Bilateral Consultation Mechanism, an active development assistance program and trade and investment ties. Equally important are our rapidly expanding people to people links.

“Around 180,000 Nepalis have made Australia their home and they are contributing to our countries’ close relations, including through growing business connections,” said Ambassador Ambassador's Message

In 2023, Nepal was Australia’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia, with total bilateral trade of $4.6 billion, up by around 56 percent from 2022. Nepal is now in the top 20 export markets for Australia.

Australia provided an estimated $27.2 million in Official Development Assistance to Nepal in 2023-24, focused on climate change and governance.