UN Secretary General postpones Nepal visit

KATHMANDU: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has postponed his visit to Nepal due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

“The visit of the United Nations Secretary-General to Nepal has been postponed for the time being due to the escalating conflict in Israel. A new date for the visit will be finalized soon,” foreign ministry spokesperson Sewa Lamsa, who also heads the United Nations Division at the ministry, told Himal Press.

Secretary-General Guterres was scheduled to arrive in Nepal on October 14. One of the agendas of the visit was climate change and the ways to mitigate its impacts on livelihoods. During his visit, he was scheduled to spend a night in Pokhara before departing for China.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal extended the invitation to Secretary-General Guterres to visit Nepal during his participation in the 78th UN General Assembly.