Balananda Sharma appointed as Nepal's new Foreign Minister

Lt Gen (Retd) Balananda Sharma was appointed Nepal's overseas affairs curate connected Friday (December 26, 2025).

President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of bureau and secrecy to Mr. Sharma astatine the President's Office successful Sheetal Niwas, according to a announcement issued by his office.

This is the 5th Cabinet enlargement by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who leads an interim authorities mandated to clasp the wide elections connected March 5.

With Mr. Sharma's induction, the spot of Karki’s Council of Ministers has risen to 15.

PM Karki, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Vice-President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, and different elder officials were contiguous astatine the oath taking ceremony.

According to a study successful The Kathmandu Post newspaper, Mr. Sharma played a cardinal relation successful the integration of Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army.

After the past CPN (Maoist) joined the bid process successful 2006, helium served arsenic coordinator of the method committee connected service integration.

Mr. Sharma served astir 39 years successful the Nepali Army, holding enactment roles astatine assorted levels, and was deployed successful planetary peacekeeping missions for astir 4 years, the study said.

He besides served arsenic the main of the Covid-19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC) during the pandemic.