Former foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey has been appointed the ambassador to China.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appointed Pandey on recommendation of the Cabinet, the President's Office said issuing a statement on Friday. "President Bhandari has appointed Mahendra Bahadur Pandey the residential ambassador to China on recommendation of the Cabinet as per Article 282 of the Constitution," the statement issued by Assistant Spokesperson at the office Keshav Prasad Ghimire reads.
The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee on March 23 had unanimously endorsed Pandey for envoy to China.
The committee had not received any complaint against Pandey who promised to work considering Nepal's sovereignty and freedom during the hearing at the Singha Durbar on Monday.
"I had prepared separate terms of references for envoys to different countries. I will work in China in accordance to that," he had stated. "We should work with China to arrange high-level visits, form common mechanisms, and for bilateral agreements and additional assistance," he had pointed.
"I believe that a country should have a permanent foreign policy," he had stressed.
Lawmakers had asked questions about China and India signing agreement about Lipu Lekh without knowledge of Nepal during the hearing. "I as a foreign minister wrote to the two countries stating that Lipu Lekh belongs to Nepal when China and India signed the bilateral agreement," he had said. "China had responded that it can be discussed but India did not respond. I will obviously be concerned about this issue."
Pandey will also serve as non-residential envoy to North Korea and Mongolia.
