Ms. Himalee Arunatilaka, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal, called on Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on 18 August in Kathmandu, Nepal. During their meeting, Prime Minister Oli noted the long history of Nepal-Sri Lanka bilateral relations and described Sri Lanka as a “very good friend of Nepal.”

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of both countries working together in multilateral fora. He also expressed optimism about further growing Nepal-Sri Lanka bilateral relations for the benefit of their people. He expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s assistance in reconstructing two temples in Kathmandu Valley that were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and shared ongoing development initiatives in Lumbini, such as the expansion of the Bhairawa Airport into an international airport. Lumbini is a pilgrimage site in Nepal that binds the two countries together.

Ms. Arunatilaka stressed expansion of bilateral trade, investment, and technical cooperation. Working together to strengthen economic cooperation will take their bilateral relationship to the next level, according to the Ambassador. Areas with potential for cooperation include tourism, hydropower, education, and the services sector.

The meeting also noted that direct air connectivity between Kathmandu (Nepal) and Colombo (Sri Lanka) would contribute to further expansion of trade and tourism between the two countries.

Related links:

Sri Lanka, very good friend of Nepal – Nepal PM

Nepal PM confident of bilateral relations with Sri Lanka achieving new heights