In a major shift from his strict diplomatic stance, Prime Minister Balendra Shah is set to hold his first-ever one-on-one meeting with the President of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Masato Kanda on coming Tuesday.
According to a highly-placed source at the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting is scheduled for 10:30 am at the PM's Office in Singha Durbar. Kanda is arriving in Kathmandu on Monday afternoon for an official visit.
Since taking office, PM Shah has consistently declined high-level foreign meetings, creating ripples in diplomatic circles. He previously denied meeting requests from US Assistant Secretary of State S Paul Kapoor and US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor. Furthermore, Indian External Affairs Secretary Vikram Misri canceled his scheduled visit to Kathmandu at the last minute after Shah denied his request for a meeting.
Diplomatic experts view this sudden willingness to meet the ADB Chief as a calculated move prioritizing economic partnership and development assistance over traditional geopolitical visits.
Ahead of his meeting with the Prime Minister, President Kanda will hold separate bilateral talks on Monday with Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle.
The ADB President and Finance Minister Wagle are scheduled to sign a key development assistance agreement at 3:00 pm on Monday. Finance Minister Wagle will host a special dinner reception in honor of visiting dignitary at the Marriott Hotel later that evening. Kanda will conclude his official visit and depart Kathmandu following Tuesday's one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister.
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