KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 26 Newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs Balananda Sharma was sworn into office on Thursday, taking the oath of office and secrecy before President Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas. Prime Minister Sushila Karki appointed Sharma earlier in the day, expanding the Karki-led government into a 15-member cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Karki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions, security chiefs, and senior officials of constitutional bodies. A retired Lieutenant General of the Nepali Army, Sharma previously served as Coordinator of the Army Integration Special Committee and as a Force Commander of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. He is currently the Chairperson of the National Defence University.