Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has cancelled his visit to the United Nations General Assembly session. He was scheduled to fly to New York on Wednesday evening with an 18-member delegation.

With situation in Tarai getting more volatile, the PM is required to be in the country to hold discussion with disgruntled parties over the contents of the constitution said a source at the Prime Minister’s office (PMO).

However, the PM may still fly to New York on September 27 just in time for his scheduled address to UN General Assembly (UNGA), the PMO source said.

Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh will now lead the Nepali delegation to the UNGA.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey has left for New York to participate in the 70th session of UNGA.

Talking to reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport prior to his departure on Wednesday, Pandey said he would hold talks with his counterparts of UN member states, including with neighboring countries on a post-earthquake roadmap for reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and other issues of bilateral interests.

The 70th session of UNGA, to be held from September 28-October 5, will deliberate on the issue of climate change, terrorism and challenges faced by least developed and landlocked countries.

Nepal will also participate in the high-level peace conference from September 25-27. Heads of states and governments of the troop contributing countries on the UN peacekeeping missions will be in attendance.

Nepal will participate in a meeting on ‘Gender Equality and Women Empowerment: Commitment to Action’ to be convened by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the UN Women.

Nepal will also take part in a high-level roundtable discussion on ‘South-South Cooperation under the framework of the post-2015’ to be organised by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Chinese President Xi Jingping on Sept 26. Foreign ministers from the Saarc member countries are also scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly.