Key Takeaways:

• Prime Minister Balendra Shah departs today for New York to attend the 81st UN General Assembly
• Shah is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Sept. 24 and meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
• Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is accompanying the high-level Nepali delegation
• The visit marks Shah's first foreign trip since becoming prime minister and concludes on Sept. 26

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 22 Prime Minister Balendra Shah is leaving for the United States today to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, leading a high-level Nepali delegation. According to the government schedule, Shah will depart from Tribhuvan International Airport at 4:15pm on a Qatar Airways flight. The prime minister is scheduled to address the high-level session of the UN General Assembly on September 24 and hold a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his stay in New York. The delegation includes Chief Adviser Kumar Byanjankar, Chief Personal Secretary Subash Sharma, Private Secretary Pradeep Pariyar and photographer Binay Shakya, among other officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Shah is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on September 26. The UN visit is significant as it marks Shah's first official foreign trip since assuming office, providing an opportunity for Nepal to present its priorities on global, regional and development issues at the world's largest multilateral forum.