Former Sri Lankan President arrives in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Dec 28: Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in Nepal on Saturday.     

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Krishna Prasad Dhakal told RSS that the former Sri Lankan President arrived in Nepal for his personal visit.     

Wickremesinghe landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:55 am and then left Kathmandu for Lumbini on Saturday afternoon.     

According to the Ministry, necessary protocol and security arrangements have been provided for him as the former President.     

He will have meetings and visits in his own way. The former President of Sri Lanka is scheduled to return home on January 1, 2025 after wrapping up his visit.     

It may be noted that Nepal and Sri Lanka had established diplomatic ties on July 1, 1957. Nepal opened an honorary consulate general in Colombo in 1975 and the Embassy of Nepal was established in Colombo in 1995.     

Sri Lanka has a residential embassy in Kathmandu since 1993. Both Nepal and Sri Lanka are founding members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).     

The two countries share common views on many international issues at various forums, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the World Trade Organization.     

Lumbini, the birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha and a sacred destination for Buddhists around the world, attracts Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka every year.     

The Sri Lankan government is supporting Nepal's efforts to develop Lumbini as a source of world peace. Sri Lanka has also built a monastery and a rest house complex in Lumbini. (RSS)