In a bustling two-day whirlwind through Nepal, America’s top envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, ended his visit Saturday labeling it highly productive. The trip, however, spotlighted a diplomatic hiccup: Prime Minister Balendra Shah skipped a requested sit-down due to packed schedules.
Gor maximized his time, convening with influential figures like RSP leader Ravi Lamichhane, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, and Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle. Conversations with major entrepreneurs highlighted Nepal’s tech boom as ripe for US investment.
Lamichhane’s Saturday meeting focused on strengthening US-Nepal bonds. Gor tweeted about the new administration’s reform mandate, calling its direction promising. Reports from The Kathmandu Post noted the US push for a Gor-Shah rendezvous, rebuffed by the PMO over urgent local matters.
Insiders say Shah stuck to protocol, ignoring ministerial nudges for the meet. He’s vowed no outbound travel for 12 months, restricting interactions to handpicked foreign dignitaries. Gor’s agenda pressed on undeterred.
Objectives centered on fortifying ties and expanding commerce. With Khanal and Wagle on Friday, Gor stressed easing business operations, drawing investments, and elevating economic collaboration.
Adventure blended with diplomacy as Gor visited Everest Base Camp, briefed on cutting-edge US drones slashing delivery times dramatically and eco-cleanup efforts on the world’s highest peak. Culturally, he joined the joyous return of the Akshobhya Buddha statue in Kathmandu and wandered Bhaktapur’s historic Durbar Square.
Gor holds the distinction as the most senior US official to grace Nepal post the March 27 RSP government inauguration, marking a pivotal moment in bilateral engagement.
