Former Lt General Sharma takes charge of foreign ministry

KATHMANDU: Former Lieutenant General of the Nepali Army Balananda Sharma has been appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sharma amid a ceremony at the Office of the President on Friday.

Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devaraj Ghimire, senior government officials, security personnel, and heads and senior officials of constitutional bodies were present on the occasion.

After retiring from the Nepali Army, Sharma served as the coordinator of the Secretariat of the Special Committee on Army Integration formed after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the government and the CPN (Maoist). Sharma played a key role in drafting the integration framework and advancing the process in a manner acceptable to both the Army and the Maoist combatants.

Under his leadership, the number of Maoist combatants initially included in the first phase of verification—around 30,000—was reduced to fewer than 1,500 for integration.

Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharma was appointed head of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC).