KATHMANDU: In a bid to engage and interact with the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government, United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will be on an official visit to Nepal from January 29-30.
Nuland will be the senior-most foreign dignitary to visit Kathmandu following Dahal’s appointment as prime minister on December 25 last year.
Nuland will also be the senior-most US official to come to Kathmandu after the visit in May last year of US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya. But a formal announcement of Nuland’s visit is yet to be made.
“Senior visits at different levels, both from our side as well as from other countries including the United States are expected,” said Sewa Lamsal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without giving details of Nuland’s visit.
While paying a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal on Tuesday, the US ambassador to Nepal Dean Thomposn had informed her of Nuland’s upcoming Kathmandu trip, a foreign ministry official who was involved in arranging the meeting.
“I look forward to working with Foreign Minister Paudyal,” ambassador Thompson had tweeted after meeting Paudyal. “It was a pleasure to congratulate her and discuss our goals for US-Nepal relations. Our relationship is important as two sovereign, democratic nations with strong people-to-people ties.”
“As of now, Nuland has some engagements in Kathmandu on coming Monday, January 30,” a senior foreign ministry official said. The visit is expected to focus on engaging the new government in Nepal as well as on securing American interests in the country. TKP