Nepal's PM Refuses Meeting with US Envoy, Reflecting Regional Shifts

US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, continues to suffer diplomatic setbacks. After Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal's newly appointed Prime Minister Balen Shah has also refused to meet with Sergio Gor. The development clearly reflects the changing geopolitical equations in South Asia and the independent foreign policy of countries in the region. Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador to India, recently arrived in Kathmandu on a three-day visit with a six-member US delegation. The US side had requested a meeting between Nepal's Prime Minister Balen Shah and Trump's envoy Sergio Gor. However, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) rejected the demand saying that PM Shah's entire focus is on domestic priorities and governance issues. His visit ended without a meeting with Balen Shah. In Kathmandu, Gor met with Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle.