KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) Balen Shah is set to hold his first individual meeting with a foreign delegation since assuming office, with Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda scheduled to call on him on Tuesday.
According to a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kanda will become the first foreign dignitary to meet the prime minister in a one-on-one format. Before meeting Shah, the ADB chief is scheduled to hold discussions with Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, and other government officials on Monday.
Shah’s approach of limiting individual meetings with foreign officials reflects a broader attempt to recalibrate Nepal’s diplomatic engagement. The move signals an effort to centralise foreign policy coordination, minimise inconsistencies in messaging, and transition from personality-driven diplomacy to a more structured, state-led framework.
According to a member of the PM’s Secretariat, the prime minister would meet foreign leaders and diplomats as necessary, adding that no restrictions have been placed on such engagements.
It may be noted that earlier, Prime Minister Shah had declined separate meeting requests from US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Paul Kapur and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy and ambassador to India, Sergio Gor. Following this, a planned visit to Nepal by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was also postponed.
Instead, he held a joint interaction with Kathmandu-based diplomats on April 8, followed by a collective courtesy call on May 26 by 23 ambassadors and deputy heads of mission from various countries.
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