KATHMANDU: Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is scheduled to arrive in Nepal today (Saturday) for a personal visit.
Krishna Prasad Dhakal, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the visit.
According to the Ministry, appropriate protocol and security arrangements will be provided for the former president during his stay.
Wickremesinghe will have the freedom to organize his own meetings and visits.
He is also scheduled to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, during his trip.
The former president is expected to return to Sri Lanka on January 1 after completing his visit.
It is worth noting that Nepal and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations 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, in turn, has had a residential embassy in Kathmandu since 1993.
Both countries 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).
Nepal and Sri Lanka also share common positions on many international issues in various forums, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the World Trade Organization.
Lumbini, a sacred site for Buddhists and the birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha, attracts Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka every year.
The Sri Lankan government has been supportive of Nepal’s efforts to develop Lumbini as a hub of global peace and has contributed by building a monastery and rest house complex in the area.
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