Breaking with the tradition of meeting foreign ambassadors and diplomats individually, Prime Minister Balendra Shah is set to meet several Kathmandu-based ambassadors jointly on Wednesday.

This is likely the first time in recent history that a Nepali prime minister has met with ambassadors and diplomats together, apart from the diplomatic briefings that typically take place after a change in government. Ambassadors and diplomats from key countries, including India, China, the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, among others, have been invited to jointly call on the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Shah, who was sworn in as prime minister on March 27, has not met foreign envoys individually despite several requests from embassies for courtesy calls.

Previously, newly appointed prime ministers used to meet ambassadors individually at their office or residence within days of assuming office, a practice that had drawn criticism from public intellectuals and sections of the public.

A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Post that almost all Kathmandu-based ambassadors who had earlier sought courtesy meetings with the prime minister have been invited to the Prime Minister’s Office at Singha Durbar on Wednesday at noon.

After the ambassadors introduce themselves, Prime Minister Shah will briefly address them, and no other activities are scheduled during the event, according to foreign ministry officials. The meeting is expected to last around an hour.

Around 20 ambassadors are expected to attend. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, Chief of Protocol Kumar Kharel, and Head of the Public Diplomacy Division and spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri, among others, will also be present.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received over two dozen requests from Kathmandu-based diplomats and heads of donor agencies seeking meetings with the prime minister. However, Shah has not shown interest in meeting them individually.

“It appears the prime minister is trying to set a new trend in the conduct of foreign policy, aiming to strengthen the role of the foreign ministry rather than handling such engagements personally,” an official at the Prime Minister’s Office said.