KATHMANDU: Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gore, is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu this evening, marking the second high-level visit from the United States within just ten days of the formation of Nepal’s new government.

Earlier, Sameer Paul Kapur, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the same region, had visited Nepal on April 19. The back-to-back visits have sparked discussions in diplomatic circles that Washington is placing renewed priority on its engagement with Nepal, particularly in areas of economic cooperation.

Gore, who is also serving as the U.S. Ambassador to India and is considered close to Trump, is widely viewed as an influential figure in U.S. diplomacy. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.

However, no meeting has been scheduled with Prime Minister Balen Shah.

Sources indicate that efforts have been made through various channels to arrange a meeting between Gore and the Prime Minister. However, the Prime Minister’s Office has cited internal workload constraints, making it difficult to allocate time.

A source at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers stated that meetings at the prime ministerial level are held only when deemed necessary, and that the Prime Minister is not inclined to engage in routine diplomatic courtesy calls.

During his recent visit, Kapur also did not secure a meeting with Prime Minister Shah. Instead, he held talks with Finance Minister Wagle, Foreign Minister Khanal, and Rabi Lamichhane.

The current administration appears to be breaking from past practices where even relatively lower-level foreign officials would routinely meet the Prime Minister. Instead, Prime Minister Shah has delegated diplomatic engagements to the Foreign Minister, choosing to focus on governance reforms and domestic priorities.