Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The government has recommended senior foreign ministry officers for six vacant ambassadorial positions.
Although the cabinet made the decision on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal included it in the meeting minutes on Friday.
The government has decided to send Lok Bahadur Thapa and Ram Prasad Subedi to Nepal’s permanent missions in New York and Geneva, respectively. Similarly, Tej Bahadur Chhetri has been recommended for the UAE, Sudhir Bhattarai for France, Dhan Bahadur Oli for Thailand, and Ghanashyam Bhusal for Kuwait.
No recommendation has been made for the vacant ambassadorial position in Canada. Government sources say Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Poudyal, who desired the vacant post at the Nepali mission in New York, has been promised the ambassadorial position in Canada. However, a source at the ministry says preparations are underway to send a political appointee to Canada from the quota of Nepali Congress.
Thapa heads the East Asia Division at the ministry and previously served as Nepal’s ambassador to Belgium. Subedi is serving as deputy chief of mission at the Nepalese embassy in India.
Chhetri, who has been recommended for the UAE, is taking his first charge as an ambassador. He previously served as the head of the Nepali mission in the United Kingdom. Similarly, Bhattarai, serving as the Chief of Protocol, has been recommended for France. He has extensive experience working at the ministry’s United Nations Division.
Similarly, Oli, who has been recommended for Thailand, has served as the officiating head of the mission at the Nepali Embassy in Bangladesh and has also held responsibilities as the director of SAARC.
Likewise, Lamsal, who has been recommended for Kuwait, served as the officiating head of the mission in South Africa previously. He is currently the head of the Administration Division of the foreign ministry. The names will now be forwarded to the Public Hearing Committee of parliament. After that, the names will be forwarded to the respective countries for agreemo, following which they will be formally appointed by the president. However, officers named for the permanent mission don’t need to wait for agreemo.
Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud said the government has decided to nominate career diplomats to fill up six vacant ambassadorial positions. “We decided to send foreign ministry officials to these missions as foreign ministry officials previously headed these missions,” Minister Saud added. “The decision was formalized on Friday.”
Amrit Bahadur Rai and Mani Prasad Bhattarai recently returned from Nepal’s permanent missions in New York and Geneva, respectively. Similarly, Krishna Prasad Dhakal (UAE), Durga Prasad Bhandari (Kuwait), and Deepak Adhikari (France) have also returned after completing their respective terms. Bhattarai, Bhandari, and Adhikari have retired from foreign service.
