KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balen Shah is set to travel to the United States to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. According to officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister will be accompanied by a significantly smaller delegation than in previous years, consisting of only 10 to 11 members.
The prime minister’s team will include Chief Advisor Kumar Ben, personal secretaries Subash Sharma and Pradip Pajiyar, photographer Binay Shakya, and the chief of protocol. A separate delegation led by the foreign minister will include Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the UN Lok Bahadur Thapa, and ministry officials Krishna Prasad Dhakal and Kumar Raj Kharel. While the government has yet to formally announce the visit, the prime minister is scheduled to address the assembly on Sept. 24.
Prime Minister Shah decided to attend the assembly following the glacial flood in Bhote Koshi, Rasuwa, on Aug. 26. It is expected that the prime minister’s presence will help draw international attention to the climate-related disasters facing Nepal. The ministry is currently finalizing the travel dates and the official list of participants.
In previous sessions, former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal led a 12-member delegation to the 78th General Assembly, while former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli led a 22-member team to the 79th session. Nepal was represented by its permanent representative during the 80th General Assembly.
