KATHMANDU, April 20: The government has appointed former Additional Inspector General of Armed Police Force Rajesh Shrestha the executive director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) – a think tank affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi told Republica Online that a recent Cabinet meeting appointed Shrestha the executive director of the IFA out of the three shortlisted candidates.
Deputy Executive Director at the IFA, Indra Adhikari also confirmed that Shrestha was appointed for the post recently. "We are going to hold the IFA board meeting shortly," She said.
MoFA appoints Rupak Sapkota as IFA deputy executive director
The post of executive director was lying vacant since the then executive director Pannakaji Amatya passed away one year ago. Shrestha is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Three retired security officials—former Major General of Nepal Army Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, Major General Devendra Bahadur Medhasi and Additional Inspector General of Armed Police Force Rajesh Shrestha—were shortlisted after an interview conducted by a selection and recommendation committee formed by the MoFA under the leadership of Foreign Secrerary Bairagi.
The MoFA had forwarded the names of the shortlisted candidates to the council of ministers for approval.
Earlier, the MoFA had invited applications from all interested candidates for the appointment. The ministry had invited applications from candidates not exceeding 60 years of age and those with at least 10 years of work experience in the field of international law, diplomacy and economic diplomacy and those with experience of working at the senior management level.
