Australian Speaker Dick meets Speaker Ghimire

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct.5: Australian Speaker Milton Dick had a courtesy meeting with Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina at Singha Durbar on Wednesday.

Office of the Speaker informed that the VIPs talked on several bilateral issues like sharing of parliamentary experience, and expansion of bilateral relations during the meeting.

Speaker Ghimire expressed his belief that if the trade and investment framework agreement between the two countries is signed as soon as possible, the trade and investment between the two countries would gain momentum. 

After this, Dick met National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina same day. National Assembly Chairman Timilsina said that he believed that Speaker Dick's visit to Nepal would further enhance the existing friendly relations between Nepal and Australia during the meeting. 

Stating that Nepal and Australia enjoyed harmonious and cooperative relationship between the two countries since 1960, Timilsina expressed his happiness that the friendly relations based on mutual trust, understanding and cooperation have become wider and deeper in recent days.

He stressed for the exchange of experience to strengthen democratic systems, values and institutions as both the countries were democratic countries with free, open and diverse societies. "I hope there will be more friendly and dynamic relations between the parliaments of two countries," he added. 

Timalsina appreciated Australia's contribution to the socio-economic development of Nepal with Speaker Dick and hoped such aids in socio-economic development of a landlocked and underdeveloped country like Nepal would increase in the future. 

He stressed for the initiations for a direct flight from Nepal to Australia saying that more than 60,000 Nepali students were in Australia for their higher education and some 122,000 Nepalis were living there. 

Australian Speaker Dick expressed his happiness that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Nepal were coming to Australia for a study tour to practice and experience federalism. He expressed his belief that the experience achieved by Australia during the implementation of federalism would be fruitful for Nepal as well. 

Speaker Dick expressed his belief that the harmonious relations with Nepal would gain even higher heights and he expressed his belief that the exchange of parliamentary experience would help to strengthen Nepal's federalism.