US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Samir Paul Kapoor is set to visit Nepal. He is going to be the highest-ranking US government official to visit Nepal after the formation of the Balendra Shah-led government.
While high-ranking US officials typically visit Kathmandu only as a stopover during tours of neighboring countries like India or Pakistan, Kapoor is traveling from the US specifically to visit Nepal.
Assistant Secretary of State Paul will fly from the US and land directly in Kathmandu via Istanbul transit. According to a Foreign Ministry source, he will arrive in Kathmandu on Monday and return on Wednesday.
During his visit to Kathmandu, Assistant Secretary of State Kapoor will meet with Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle to discuss the economic priorities of the Balen government. Central to these discussions is the US interest in accelerating the MCC Nepal Compact. The Finance Ministry is currently mapping out the Assistant Secretary’s full schedule and meeting agendas.
US President Donald Trump removed Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Luke in October 2025. He was replaced by security expert Kapoor.
Born in New Delhi, India, Kapoor has a good understanding of the ground realities of South Asian affairs and has the ability to analyze them. Before Trump appointed him to the State Department, he was a professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He taught courses on US military operational efficiency, technical leadership, and tactical warfare.
The decision of a senior US official to travel directly to Kathmandu following the formation of a new government signals that Nepal has become a strategic priority for Washington.
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