(Special correspondent Sheetal Prasad Mahato)
President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, has said he would visit Nepal in near future.
During a tea reception organised this morning by him in honour of President Bidya Devi Bhandari who is presently on a visit to Sri Lanka, at the official residence of the Sri Lankan President based in Kandy, the Sri Lankan President promised to visit Nepal in near future.
Prior to this, welcoming President Bhandari to his official residence, the Sri Lankan President said that the visit had added a new dimension to the bilateral relations existing between Nepal and Sri Lanka and would help further consolidate and foster the bilateral relations.
On the occasion, the President insisted on the need of creating an appropriate atmosphere in both countries to meet the sustainable economic development goals. The President also extended an invitation to her Sri Lankan counterpart to visit Nepal.
Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Minister for Justice and Buddha Sasana, Daya Gamage, Minister for Primary Industries, Ms Thalatha Athukorala, Minister for Foreign Employment, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Harsha de Silva and Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and high-ranking government officials of Sri Lanka were present in the reception.
Minister for General Administration Keshab Kumar Budhathoki, Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai of the Office of President, Secretary Bhupendra Prasad Poudel, Nepal’s Ambassador for Sri Lanka Dr Bishwambahar Pyakurel, Foreign Ministry’s joint secretary Bhrigu Dhungana, chief protocol Deepak Adhikari who are in the President’s entourage also attended the reception.
On the occasion, Sri Lanka’s CP Chief Minister Ekanayake gifted a sliver artistic object to the President. Hereafter, the President arrived in Colombo on a helicopter of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
