KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has approved the extension of the tenure of six Nepali ambassadors, despite earlier rejecting a proposal to appoint five senior Foreign Ministry joint secretaries as new ambassadors.

The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to extend the terms of ambassadors serving in Brazil, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Myanmar, and Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna. Officials said the extensions, granted without specifying an end date, will remain in effect until new ambassadors are appointed.

The decision signals a further delay in Nepal’s ambassadorial appointment process, with parliamentary hearings and other procedures expected to prolong new postings.

The move came after Prime Minister Shah declined a proposal submitted last month by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal to appoint five career diplomats from the Foreign Ministry as ambassadors.

According to government sources, the government has largely finalized which of the 26 vacant or soon-to-be-vacant diplomatic missions will be filled by career diplomats and which will receive political appointees.

Sources also said Brazil’s ambassador, whose mission is scheduled to be closed under the government’s budget plan, received a tenure extension because the embassy’s closure requires additional administrative and diplomatic procedures.

The delay has also postponed the appointment of several senior Foreign Ministry officials nearing retirement, who were proposed for ambassadorial posts under the ministry’s long-standing practice of prioritizing experienced career diplomats. Some officials believe disagreements over the government’s e-passport procurement process may have contributed to the rejection of those nominations, although no official explanation has been provided.