KATHMANDU, MAY 25
Amid the ongoing headlines about Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane's visit to India in the first week of June, the Government Spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, has stated that Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah's current top priority is to focus solely on the government's performance, and that the party chair's visit to India has no connection to the prime minister.
Speaking to journalists following the Cabinet meeting today, Pokharel clarified that due to the heavy workload of the government's first 100 days, the prime minister has no immediate plans to visit any country.
Addressing ongoing rumours that link the prime minister's potential visit to India with the foreign travel of the RSP chairman, Minister Pokharel said, "The prime minister is currently not preparing to visit India, or any other country. We are heavily focused on the action plans and targets of the government's initial 100 days. The RSP chairman's visit might be purely personal or party-related; it has no connection to the prime minister."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shah is set to meet with non-resident ambassadors and heads of missions from European Union (EU) member countries based here tomorrow. Prime Minister Shah has scheduled a collective meeting and dialogue with them at 11:30am at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
According to Deepa Dahal, PM's press and research expert, the discussions at the collective meeting will centre on briefing them on Nepal's current priorities, strengthening bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation.
Previously, on April 8, Prime Minister Shah held a collective meeting and dialogue with ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from various countries stationed in Nepal.
The European Union (EU) delegation to Nepal, led by Véronique Lorenzo, EU ambassador to Nepal, has also announced that it will host a twoday high-level mission from May 25 to 26, consisting of 22 ambassadors and deputy heads of mission from EU member states. "This visit is an opportunity to meet the new Balendra Shah government and reaffirm the strong ties between the EU and Nepal," according to a statement issued by the EU.
The delegation includes ambassadors and deputy ambassadors from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. According to the EU statement, the mission will include high-level discussions with Nepali leaders, including a meeting with PM Shah tomorrow.
EU Ambassador Lorenzo stated, "This mission underscores the EU's commitment to Nepal. We are here to congratulate the new government, reaffirm our support for Nepal's development priorities, and explore new avenues for cooperation - from trade and investment to climate action and multilateral issues. Together, as Team Europe, we stand ready to work with Nepal to build a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future."