US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday night from New Delhi, concluding the India leg of her South and Central Asia tour.

Rogers is the senior-most American diplomat to visit Nepal since the government led by Balendra Shah took office, and the third senior US official to visit the country since the government was formed on March 27.

She is travelling to India, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from May 27 to June 10, according to a brief announcement by the State Department.

This is Rogers's first visit to Kathmandu since assuming office last year.

Washington has sent a string of senior officials to Kathmandu since the Balendra Shah government took office in March.

Ahead of her visit, Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur, who oversees South and Central Asia at the State Department, arrived in Kathmandu on April 20. Ten days after Kapur wrapped up his visit, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to South and Central Asia Sergio Gor arrived in Kathmandu and held talks with Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and others. Kapur also met Khanal and Wagle. Both Kapur and Gor held talks with Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane.

However, Prime Minister Shah did not meet either US official.

Gor's Kathmandu visit, meanwhile, sparked controversy after he travelled to Everest Base Camp and launched drones there.

On Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Foreign Minister Khanal held telephone conversations and discussed bilateral relations, among other issues.

According to diplomats and officials who attended the meetings, as well as statements issued by both sides, discussions during the recent flurry of visits focused largely on strengthening US-Nepal relations, investment and trade, removing legislative barriers to US investment in Nepal, advancing technology and ICT cooperation, Nepal's economic development priorities, and regional and strategic issues.

Other topics included the smooth implementation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact, the operation of Starlink in Nepal, the issuance of identity cards to Tibetan refugees, and cultural diplomacy, among other matters.

There are two reasons behind the back-to-back visits from the US side, said former ambassador Shambhu Ram Simkhada.

“One is America's traditional interest in Nepal, and the other is the outcome of the latest election here, which has introduced new dynamics that have profoundly transformed Nepali politics and captured the imagination of political thinkers and actors worldwide,” he said.

“Naturally, America, as a global superpower and one of Nepal's oldest friends and development partners, must be watching the conduct of the new Nepali statecraft, the profile of its main actors and, most strikingly, the highly unconventional style of the prime minister with heightened curiosity and interest.”

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri, Rogers will meet Foreign Minister Khanal and Minister for Information and Communication Bikram Timilsina and attend an event organised by the US Embassy. The embassy is organising Nepal's Ascent Summit 2026.

“The summit is more than a conversation about Everest,” the embassy said on its Facebook page. “It is a platform that brings together climbers, guides, innovators, storytellers, rescue professionals, brands and changemakers shaping the future of adventure tourism and mountaineering.”

“The summit explores the realities behind the mountain, the people who make expeditions possible, and the evolving relationship between Everest, technology, responsibility, culture and global collaboration. From powerful conversations to immersive experiences, US Embassy Nepal's Ascent Summit 2026 creates a space where Everest is not only celebrated, but understood.”

The visit coincides with the recent ascent of Mt Everest by a Kathmandu-based US diplomat. Mike Harker, head of public affairs at the US Embassy in Kathmandu, became the first serving diplomat in Nepal to climb Mount Everest.

Harker will be honoured during the event.

Before concluding her Nepal visit, Rogers will meet media representatives and interact with them, according to the embassy.

In New Delhi, Rogers held discussions with Indian officials on how public diplomacy, strategic communications and people-to-people ties can strengthen the US-India partnership while promoting innovation, economic opportunities and regional security.

During testimony before the House Affairs Committee in March, Rogers said she would harness the entire public diplomacy enterprise to advance US interests and strengthen American diplomacy.

“My mission is broad and vital. We are fully utilising all the tools at our disposal, including exchange programmes, cultural heritage initiatives, micro-grants and more, to advance the President's America First agenda and ensure that every engagement delivers measurable results for the American people and maximises the impact of US taxpayer dollars,” she said.

“We are also ensuring our entire public diplomacy enterprise is equipped and has the vision to tell America's story of excellence, confidence and leadership,” she said. “Our new Public Diplomacy Strategic Plan, to be released next month, will provide clear direction, strategy and cohesion.”

“It aligns our efforts with the President's National Security Strategy and the Secretary's Strategic Plan, placing sovereignty, security and economic renewal at the centre of our foreign policy. We are increasing clarity of US resolve, countering malign foreign influence, and reinforcing the responsibility of our allies and partners.”