Shisir Khanal
Shisir Khanal | |
|---|---|
शिशिर खनाल | |
.jpg) Khanal in 2026 at Asia Society | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 27 March 2026 | |
| President | Ram Chandra Paudel |
| Prime Minister | Balen Shah |
| Preceded by | Bala Nanda Sharma |
| Minister of Education, Science and Technology | |
| In office 17 January 2023 – 5 February 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Pushpa Kamal Dahal |
| Preceded by | Devendra Paudel |
| Succeeded by | Ashok Rai |
| Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha | |
| Assumed office 22 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Bhimsen Das Pradhan |
| Constituency | Kathmandu 6 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 December 1978 Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Party | Rastriya Swatantra Party |
| Spouse | Achyuta Adhikari |
| Education | MIPA (UW-Madison); BA in IPE and Diplomacy (University of Bridgeport) |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison; University of Bridgeport |
| Website | shisirkhanal |
Shisir Khanal[a] is a Nepalese politician who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2026. A senior member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Khanal is a two-term member of parliament from Kathmandu 6, having been first elected in 2022 and re-elected in the 2026 general election amid the RSP's landslide victory.[1][2]
He briefly served as Minister of Education, Science and Technology in 2023 before the RSP withdrew from the coalition government.[3]
Khanal is a co-founder of Teach For Nepal and has been active in RSP's leadership, including as head of its foreign affairs and tourism departments, a central secretariat member, and a key negotiator in post-election alliances.[4] He had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Foreign Minister in the new RSP-led government.[5]
Early life and education
[edit]Khanal was born on 30 December 1978 in Kathmandu, Nepal. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Political Economy and Diplomacy from the University of Bridgeport and a Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2005.[6]
Early career
[edit]Before entering politics, Khanal co-founded Teach For Nepal in 2012 and led reconstruction efforts via the Sarvodaya Shramdan movement in Sri Lanka and Haiti.
Political career
[edit]He entered politics with the Rastriya Swatantra Party and won the Kathmandu 6 seat in the 2022 general election.[7] He served as the Education Minister from 17 January to 5 February 2023.[8]
In the 2026 general election, following widespread Gen Z protests and political upheaval, Khanal was re-elected with a decisive margin of 27,719 votes, contributing to Rastriya Swatantra Party's overwhelming mandate.[9] He has emphasized responsibility for good governance and prosperity, and Rastriya Swatantra Party's role in the new government was under discussion post-election.[10]
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he attended the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he addressed the G7 Development Ministers' meeting and urged for greater cooperation and collaboration to address climate change and natural disasters.[11]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Nepali: शिशिर खनाल, romanized: Śhiśir Khanāl, Nepali pronunciation: [sisiɾ kʰʌnal]
References
[edit]- ↑ "RSP's Shishir Khanal wins second term in Kathmandu-6". Kathmandu Post. 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "Newly Elected RSP Lawmaker Shishir Khanal Views Election Victory as Responsibility". Ratopati. 9 March 2026.
- ↑ "Rastriya Swatantra Party decides to quit govt". The Himalayan Times. 5 February 2023.
- ↑ "Interview: Nepal's New Ruling Party Seeks Dialogue With ..." The Wire. 12 March 2026.
- ↑ "Three Candidates Emerge in Contention for Nepal's Foreign Minister". Ratopati. March 2026.
- ↑ "Shisir Khanal MIPA'05". Wisconsin Alumni Association.
- ↑ "RSP's Shishir Khanal wins in Kathmandu-6". Nepal News. 23 November 2022.
- ↑ "Rastriya Swatantra Party decides to quit govt". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ↑ "RSP's Shishir Khanal wins second term in Kathmandu-6". Kathmandu Post. 6 March 2026.
- ↑ "Newly Elected RSP Lawmaker Shishir Khanal Views ..." Ratopati. 9 March 2026.
- ↑ "Foreign Minister Khanal Urges Long-Term International Aid for Nepal's Climate Disaster Recovery". Ratopati. September 23, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
