Lawmaker Dhakal holds discussion with Sri Lankan PM, Speaker

KATHMANDU, Dec 8: Lawmaker Ek Nath Dhakal, who is currently on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka, held a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Colombo on Friday.

During the meeting, lawmaker Dhakal proposed that the Sri Lankan government increase bilateral cooperation with Nepal especially in the areas of tourism and shared cultural values, according to lawmaker Dhakal. He informed Prime Minister Gunawardena about the newly opened international airport in Lumbini and sought the Sri Lankan government’s cooperation to start direct flights from Colombo to Lumbini.

Lawmaker Dhakal, who is the President of Nepal Family Party, serves at the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives of Nepal.

Dhakal is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka upon the invitation of Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Dhakal discussed parliamentary exchanges between Nepal and Sri Lanka during his courtesy meeting with Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena.

Dhakal also addressed a special conference on the theme “Accountability in Action: Fostering Transparency and Good Governance among Parliamentarians” organized at the Sri Lankan Parliament.

Addressing the conference, lawmaker Dhakal, who is also the Asia Pacific Chair of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), said that the credibility of democratic institutions hinges on the trust citizens place in their elected officials. He noted that in the Asia-Pacific region, where diverse cultures and political systems coexist, the call for accountability resonates deeply and it becomes the linchpin for sustainable development and regional stability.

The conference was attended by the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and co-chaired by the Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and former President Maithripala Sirisena.

Lawmakers from Sri Lanka and Asia Pacific region were in attendance.

During his stay in Colombo, lawmaker Dhakal also called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksha and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa separately. He also paid a visit to a Buddhist temple, Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara and met Venerable Dr Bellanwila Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera.

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