Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is scheduled to leave for the US on Tuesday, leading a high-level Nepali delegation to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Shah to address UN General Assembly
This will be Shah's first foreign visit since he assumed office in March.
Shah is scheduled to address the General Debate of the UN General Assembly on September 24, foreign ministry officials said on Monday.
The Nepali delegation to the UN will include Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, Prime Minister's Chief Advisor Kumar Byanjankar and other senior government officials, according to officials in the foreign ministry.
Earlier, a delegation led by Khanal left for New York on Sunday. During his visit, Khanal is scheduled to participate in high-level meetings and ministerial-level engagements and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts and other dignitaries.
Climate change, global warming on agenda
PM Shah, during his stay in New York, is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the foreign ministry officials said.
Shah is expected to highlight climate change and global warming at the UN, linking the issues to the catastrophic flash floods on August 26 that killed more than 1,450 in Nepal, while around 6,000 remain missing.
Shah is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on September 26, while Khanal is expected to return on September 29.
Shah holds consultations with opposition leaders
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Bhishmaraj Angdembe and party Vice-President Bishwa Prakash Sharma on Monday met Shah at the Prime Minister's Office in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu.
Shah had invited leaders of the main opposition party for discussions and consultations ahead of his departure for New York to attend the UN General Assembly, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Secretariat.