Sep 25, Kathmandu - Prime Minister Balendra Shah held a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday morning (Nepali time). The meeting took place at the UN headquarters in New York, just ahead of the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly, which Prime Minister Shah attended to address the assembly.

The meeting, held at 6:30 PM local time (4:15 AM Nepal time on Friday), saw Guterres express deep condolences for the loss of life and property caused by the recent flood disaster in the Voteshashi region. He reaffirmed the United Nations’ solidarity with Nepal on climate issues and praised the efforts of the young Nepali delegation attending the assembly. Guterres reminisced about his own visit to Nepal as a tourist in 1978 and committed to continued support for Nepal even after his retirement.

Prime Minister Shah thanked Guterres for his goodwill towards Nepal and congratulated him on a successful tenure. He highlighted the extensive damage caused by the Voteshashi disaster and warned that the risk of glacier breakage remains high, emphasizing the urgent need for climate resilience.

The discussions also covered the resettlement and green reconstruction of riverbank communities, along with Nepal’s request for an extension of the timeline for upgrading from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) list, seeking continued international support for its development journey.