Kathmandu, April 21 -- Samir Paul Kapur, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, arrived in Nepal on Monday for a three-day visit and started meetings with party leaders and government officials. He is the highest-ranking foreign diplomat to visit Kathmandu since Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader Balendra Shah became prime minister on March 27.

Soon after landing in Kathmandu, Kapur visited the US Embassy in Kathmandu and was briefed by embassy officials before meeting the RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane.

Interestingly, Washington has not made public Kapur's visit, meetings and engagements, although the US embassy in Kathmandu acknowledged the visit on X.

The assistant secretary is engaging with senior go...