EAM S Jaishankar congratulates new Nepal Foreign Min N Khadka ahead of 76th UNGA session

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar congratulated newly-inducted Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Khka saying that he is looking forward to working with him. A member of Prime Minister Sher Bahur Deuba's Nepali Congress party, Khka became Minister of External Affairs of Nepal on September 22. President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed senior Nepali Congress leer on recommendation of government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahur Deuba as per Article 76(9) of Nepalese Constitution. Taking to Twitter, EAM S Jaishankar said, "Congratulations to Hon’ble Dr. Narayan Khka on his appointment as Nepal's Foreign Minister. Look forward to working with him."

EAM Jaishankar will attend G4 and G20 meetings on sidelines of 76th United Nations General Assembly session. G20 summit is said to focus on ongoing Afghanistan crisis while  G4 External Affairs Minister and delegates meeting will focus on Security Council reforms. According to officials in Kathmandu, Khka, who is leing Nepalese delegation to UNGA, will depart homeland to attend  76th United Nations General Assembly session in New York on night of September 22. 

Who is Dr Narayan Khka?

72-year-old Khka, who hails from Bhojpur, was ministered oath of office and secrecy by President Bhandari amid a ceremony at Sheetal Niwas. office of Nepal Foreign Minister h been vacant for over two months after formation of new government led by Deuba. Until w portfolio was held by Nepal's Prime Minister. Nepal PM Deuba has sought consensus with coalition saying that ministry would be retained by Nepali Congress. 

In 1967, Dr Narayan Khka entered politics. He has a PhD in Ecomics from a university in Pune. He was vice-chairman of Nepal's National Planning Commission. He was also a member of National Interest Preservation Committee of First Nepalese Constituent Assembly. He served as an visor to n-Prime Minister Krishna Pras Bhattarai in 1990s.

Previously, Khka worked in Sushil Koirala-led cabinet as Minister of Urban Development in 2014. He is also a member of Nepalese Constituent Assembly's 2nd Constituent Assembly. In 2013 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election, he won Udayapur–1 seat from Nepali Congress.