Basnyat has been appointed as envoy in line with Article 50 of the Interim Constitution on the recommendation of the government, said an official at Shital Niwas. The government had forwarded a letter to the president requesting the latter to appoint Chief of Protocol Basnyat as Nepal’s envoy to Malaysia after his term ended on July 22. [break]
Nepali Embassy in Malaysia had remained without a chief after then ambassador Rishi Raj Adhikari returned home after completing his term 18 months ago.
Under secretary of Foreign Affairs Lekhanath Bhattarai had been working as an acting envoy during the period.
Newly appointed ambassador has almost three decades of working experience in the foreign service and holds a PhD in international relations from the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies in France.
Prior to this, Basnyat had served as the chief of protocol and the director of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
Basnyat retires, Ghimire takes charge of CIAA