U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Visits Kathmandu, Discusses Areas of U.S.-Nepal Cooperation with Ravi Lamichhane
News Summary
Editorial review completed.
- Following the formation of the new government led by Balendra Shah, Samir Paul Kapur, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, arrived in Kathmandu.
- Kapur held a meeting with Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of the ruling party Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswapa), to discuss areas of cooperation between the United States and Nepal.
- He also engaged with U.S. industry leaders to explore opportunities for expanding business in Nepal’s information technology sector and strengthening digital infrastructure.
April 20 (7 Baishakh), Kathmandu – Following the formation of the new government led by Balendra Shah, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Samir Paul Kapur, has arrived in Kathmandu. Kapur is the first senior diplomat to visit Nepal since the establishment of the Balendra government.
The visit is seen as an effort to deepen relations with the new government and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswapa), which is leading the government.
Kapur landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at about 6:15 a.m. on Monday and held his first meeting with Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of the ruling Raswapa. During the meeting, discussions focused on areas of cooperation between the United States and Nepal.
“It was a pleasure to meet in Kathmandu. I had an opportunity to understand the priorities of the National Independent Party of the new government and discuss areas of U.S.-Nepal cooperation,” Kapur said. Both sides have not revealed the specific sectors covered during talks.
On the same day in the afternoon, Kapur also held discussions with U.S. industry leaders regarding expanding American business opportunities in Nepal’s information technology sector.
According to the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, these talks covered strengthening digital infrastructure, increasing the use of artificial intelligence, bolstering cybersecurity, and exchanging American technical expertise.
In October last year, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Kapur as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, succeeding Donald Lu in this role. Kapur’s visit is scheduled for three days; he is set to meet Nepal’s Foreign Minister and Finance Minister on Tuesday.
A meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah has not been confirmed yet. Earlier, Kapur also visited Bangladesh after the formation of their new government to discuss bilateral relations.
