NEW DELHI: Breaking a pattern of recent diplomatic friction between Kathmandu and Washington, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane met with Sergio Gor, the U.S. Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, in New Delhi to discuss strengthening the U.S.-Nepal partnership.

The meeting caps off a five-day official visit to India for Lamichhane, which began on June 1.

Representing Nepal’s rare parliamentary supermajority, Lamichhane has received an exceptionally warm reception from India’s top leadership.

Prior to his talks with Ambassador Gor, the RSP chief held high-level meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Nitin Nabin.

While Lamichhane’s active engagements in New Delhi showcase a smooth multi-channel diplomatic front, they stand in stark contrast to the rigid approach taken by his colleague, Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah, back in Kathmandu.

Ambassador Gor’s meeting with Lamichhane follows a notable diplomatic snub during Gor’s official visit to Kathmandu in early May.

Despite formal requests from the six-member American delegation, Prime Minister Shah declined to meet with the Special Envoy.

A week prior to that, a visiting U.S. delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State S. Paul Kapur was similarly denied an audience with Prime Minister Shah under identical circumstances.

Observers note that while the Prime Minister’s office has maintained a strict stance on foreign envoy meetings, Washington is actively cementing its ties and development dialogues through engagement with key political stakeholders like Lamichhane.