Senior U.S. Diplomat Sarah B. Rogers Arrives in Nepal for Three-Day Visit

Sarah B. Rogers, the United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, is arriving in Nepal today for a three-day official visit.

Rogers is set to become the most senior U.S. diplomat to visit Nepal since Balendra Shah became Prime Minister. Her visit comes amid growing engagement between Kathmandu and Washington on diplomatic and economic issues.

The senior U.S. official will attend the “Ascent Summit 2026” in Kathmandu as the chief guest. The event is being organized by the U.S. Embassy in Nepal to celebrate mountaineering achievements and strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The summit is being held in honor of Mike Harker, the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Chief, who successfully climbed Mount Everest on May 20. The event is being organized in partnership with Seven Summit Treks, one of Nepal’s leading expedition companies.

During her stay in Nepal, Rogers is scheduled to hold meetings with Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr. Bikram Timilsina. Discussions are expected to focus on bilateral relations, public diplomacy, and areas of mutual cooperation.

Within the U.S. State Department hierarchy, the position of Under Secretary of State ranks above Assistant Secretary and below Deputy Secretary. The department currently has six under secretaries overseeing key areas of U.S. foreign policy.

Rogers’ visit follows a series of high-level visits by American officials earlier this year.

In April, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Samir Pal Kapoor visited Kathmandu for a three-day trip. During his visit, he held talks with Foreign Minister Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, and leaders of the National Independent Party, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and improving Nepal’s investment climate.

A week later, Sergio Gor, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, also travelled to Kathmandu. He met with Foreign Minister Khanal and Finance Minister Wagle to discuss trade, foreign investment, economic cooperation, and shared prosperity.

However, neither Kapoor nor Gor had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Balendra Shah during their visits. Rogers’ trip is therefore being closely watched as another sign of expanding diplomatic engagement between Nepal and the United States.