New York, September 24
Prime Minister Balen Shah is scheduled to hold only one diplomatic meeting during his visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Shah is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday, according to the government’s official programme. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is handling the remaining bilateral and diplomatic engagements during the high-level week.
There had been speculation that Shah could participate in sideline meetings with India and China during the General Assembly. However, the Prime Minister’s Office has ruled out such meetings, according to sources close to the prime minister.
A source close to Shah told Onlinekhabar that the government believes issues requiring high-level engagement can be taken up during diplomatic visits expected in the coming months. As a result, no additional bilateral meetings have been scheduled for the prime minister during the UN visit.
During his meeting with Guterres, Shah is expected to raise the Bhotekoshi disaster and issues arising from the disaster, with climate justice expected to be a major focus.
Shah is also scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday. The UN speaking schedule has allotted him a 15-minute slot.
His speech is expected to focus on the climate crisis and the disasters faced by countries such as Nepal. The Bhotekoshi disaster and Nepal’s call for climate justice have emerged as key themes of his visit.
According to sources close to Shah, he is also preparing to speak about conflicts and tensions in West Asia and other parts of the world. He is expected to raise the impact of wars on countries such as Nepal.
A source close to the prime minister quoted part of the draft speech as saying, “They wage trillion-dollar wars, but we bear the burden of a few hundred rupees in gas and petrol costs.”
The source said Shah is preparing to argue that countries such as Nepal can send a message calling for an end to wars and greater efforts for peace, while acknowledging that the final speech could be changed depending on the situation.
Shah had previously criticised US President Donald Trump in a social media post in February 2025, when he was mayor of Kathmandu. In the post, he had referred to the US diversity visa programme and Nepali workers in a critical manner.
A year later, Shah has arrived in New York as Nepal’s prime minister to lead the country’s delegation to the UN General Assembly, where US President Trump is also attending. Chinese President Xi Jinping, however, is not attending this year’s General Assembly and is instead scheduled to meet Trump in Washington.
According to sources close to Shah, the prime minister is unlikely to attend dinners or other formal social engagements during the visit. He is expected to return to Kathmandu soon after completing his UN engagements, while Foreign Minister Khanal will continue to represent Nepal at other programmes and meetings.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said Shah is scheduled to return to Nepal on September 26.
