Nepal Prez gets invite for Sri Lanka visit

The visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited his Nepali counterpart Dr Ram Baran Yadav to visit Sri Lanka.

President Rajapaksa extended the invitation during his meeting with Dr Yadav on Friday afternoon. “President Rajapaksa has invited Dr Yadav to come to Sri Lanka at the time of convenience,” said his press advisor Rajendra Dahal.

President Dr Yadav has not gone for foreign visit yet even as he received invitation from neighboring India shortly after he was elected as president last year.

Prior to the meeting with his Nepali counterpart, President Rajapaksa visited Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. He had reached Lumbini at National Standard Time 10:45 am through a Nepal Army helicopter and stayed there till NST 2:15 pm.

Besides offering prayers in Maya Devi Temple, President Rajapaksa inaugurated a Vihar built by Sri Lankan government. The president also inspected Sri Lankan Pilgrims Rest House built there for visiting Sri Lankan pilgrims and planted a tree sapling in the temple premise.

Talking briefly to media persons, President Rajapaksa said he had a long cherished desire to visit Lumbini since his childhood and that the desire had come true with the visit.

President Rajapaksa said the responsibility for the development of Lumbini area was not of Nepal alone but also of other countries including Sri Lanka. He said that the number of Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting Lumbini will see sharp increase from the annual average of 40,000 now.

On the occasion, the president donated USD 1 million for the development
of Lumbini area.

Local administration had made special security arrangement in and around the temple keeping in view of the president’s visit. Hundreds of Nepal Army (NA), Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel were mobilized in the area.

Minister for Culture and Constituent Assembly Affairs Dr Minendra Rijal, senior government officials and officials at Lumbini Development Trust had reached to Lumbini to welcome the Sri Lankan President.

President Rajapaksa also held meeting with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and attended a dinner hosted by the prime minister in his honor on Friday evening.

- Asian Tribune -