US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Sarah B Rogers.
US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Sarah B. Rogers, arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday night from New Delhi. Her visit is part of a broader South and Central Asia tour spanning from May 27 to June 10, which includes stops in India, Nepal, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Rogers is the highest-ranking American diplomat to visit Nepal since the new government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was formed on March 27. She is the third senior US official to travel to the country following recent visits by Assistant Secretary of State Samir Paul Kapur and President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Sergio Gor.
During her stay, Under Secretary Rogers is scheduled to hold high-level talks with political leaders, ministers, and diplomats, according to the Foreign Ministry. While her predecessors met with top officials—including RSP President Rabi Lamichhane, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, and Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle—they did not meet with Prime Minister Shah. It remains unconfirmed whether Rogers will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister.
The Under Secretary will also serve as the chief guest at "The Ascent Summit" on Sunday, a special ceremony hosted by the US Embassy. The event honors the Embassy’s Public Affairs Chief, Mike Harker, who successfully scaled Mount Everest on May 20.
Highlighting the vision behind her diplomatic engagements, Rogers recently stated in a congressional testimony, "My mission is broad and vital. We are fully utilizing all the tools at our disposal... to advance national interests and ensure that every engagement delivers measurable results."
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