The Nepalese government appointed Senior Joint Secretary Sewa Lamsal as Foreign Secretary.

This is the first time a woman has held this position in Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the ministry's inception more than a century ago.

The decision to promote her to this position was taken at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. Lamsal's appointment makes her the first woman in the Foreign Service to take up the responsibilities of this position.

Lamsal formerly served as Nepal's ambassador to Pakistan and at a number of Nepal's diplomatic missions around the world.

Secretary Lamsal was recommended as the sole candidate for the position of foreign secretary, which had been vacant since the retirement of Bharat Raj Paudyal last week. The cabinet also announced the promotion of Nepal Army's Major General Ashok Raj Sigdel to Lieutenant General.

The meeting approved an action plan for increasing energy supply and reducing fossil fuel usage by 2080.