KATHMANDU, (IANS):- US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Paul Kapur, who arrived in Kathmandu on Monday, has begun meetings with Nepal’s political and business leaders.

It is the first visit by a senior US official since a new government was formed in Nepal under the leadership of Prime Minister Balendra Shah on March 27, following the March 5 elections.

On Monday, Kapur met Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), on the first day of his visit to Nepal. “Great to meet RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane here in Kathmandu to learn about RSP’s priorities in the new government and discuss areas for US-Nepal cooperation,” the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs wrote on X, quoting Kapur.

The ruling RSP is the largest political party in Nepal, with nearly a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. The party’s senior leader, Shah, is currently leading the government. The RSP has remained tight-lipped on what Lamichhane discussed with the US Assistant Secretary of State.

The US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs also stated that Kapur met several business leaders from Nepal’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. “Important discussions with industry leaders about expanding US business opportunities in Nepal’s ICT sector. We also discussed ways to bolster digital infrastructure, AI adoption, cybersecurity, and sharing US technological expertise,” the bureau quoted Kapur as saying.

The United States has been showing greater interest in Nepal’s digital infrastructure and has expressed concerns over the potential adoption of Chinese 5G technology.

Chinese company Huawei has supplied most of the 4G equipment to Nepal’s telecom infrastructure, and the country has yet to adopt 5G technology. The US is also the largest market for Nepal’s ICT services.

According to the US Embassy in Nepal, Kapur is engaging with senior government officials, business leaders, and cultural experts to further strengthen the US-Nepal partnership.