US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor to Visit Nepal Amid Diplomatic Shifts

Kathmandu. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, is set to visit Nepal. A trusted aide to President Donald Trump, Sergio will arrive in Nepal directly from India on Baisakh 17. He is scheduled to stay in Nepal for four days.

Regarding Ambassador Sergio's visit, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali Embassy in India, Dr. Surendra Thapa, has met with Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in India, Jason Mack. Sources from the Nepali Embassy in India stated that the meeting between the two focused on Ambassador Sergio's upcoming visit to Nepal. 

During his visit, it is reported that Gor may meet with Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen). According to sources, Sergio is scheduled to meet Balen on Jestha 1. However, the Prime Minister's Office has not yet confirmed the meeting. A member of the Prime Minister's secretariat stated, ‘No program has been scheduled for Prime Minister Balen to meet with the US Ambassador to India, and no information regarding this matter has been received so far.’

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, S. Powell Kapoor, who visited Nepal a few days ago, also intended to meet with Prime Minister Balen. However, it is reported that the meeting did not take place as the Prime Minister's Office did not provide a time slot. Nevertheless, given his higher rank, there is speculation that a meeting between Balen and Sergio may occur. Assistant Secretary Kapoor arrived in Nepal on Baisakh 7 and returned on the 9th. 

He had met with Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, and also held discussions with Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane. 

Since the US recalled Ambassador Dean Thompson from Nepal, Ambassador Sergio has been overseeing Nepali affairs from India. There has been no US Ambassador in Nepal for four months. Although Scott Urbom is serving as the Charge d'Affaires, Ambassador Sergio has been handling all matters related to Nepal. A diplomat remarked, ‘Sergio is coming because he oversees Nepal; this is not a major event. He could have come when Kapoor was visiting, but perhaps he did not because he is senior to Kapoor; now he is coming.’

Experts suggest that the visit of Sergio, who has worked in President Trump's secretariat, is not merely as an ambassador but as an envoy of Trump. A geopolitical expert on Nepal stated, ‘This is not like Kapoor's visit; his visit will determine many things.’