KATHMANDU, August 3: The Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) on Thursday unanimously endorsed all six ambassadorial nominees recommended by the Cabinet.
The endorsed nominees include Lok Bahadur Thapa for the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York, Ram Prasad Subedi for the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland), and Sudhir Bhattarai as the Nepali Ambassador to France.
PHC clears four envoy nominees
The remaining three ambassadorial nominees underwent their parliamentary hearing on Wednesday. Today, the hearing was conducted for Tej Bahadur Chhetri, recommended as the Nepali Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Ghanashyam Lamsal (Kuwait), and Dhan Bahadur Oli (Thailand).
During the hearing, the proposed ambassadors expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between Nepal and the respective countries they have been assigned to. Tej Bahadur Chhetri, the proposed ambassador to the UAE, vowed to assist Nepali migrant workers in the country if appointed. Ghanashyam Lamsal, the nominee for Kuwait, emphasized working for Nepal's interests, considering independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-respect.
In the parliamentary hearing held on Wednesday, the work-plans of Thapa, Subedi, and Bhattarai were presented and well-received by the PHC members. All six ambassador-nominees recommended by the Council of Ministers are career diplomats who have served in the foreign services for a significant period.
Prior to the hearing of the recommended ambassadors, the PHC convened a meeting with Foreign Minister NP Saud. This meeting was summoned after concerns were raised by lawmakers about inclusiveness in the ambassadorial appointments. Minister Saud claimed that the appointments are inclusive, considering the entire number of ambassadorial appointments, although some stakeholders have expressed doubts.
