Nepal’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dol Prasad Aryal, has extended an invitation to India’s Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, to visit Nepal. This invitation came after a meeting between Speaker Aryal and Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava in Kathmandu. Speaker Aryal expressed confidence that the visit would enhance parliamentary engagement and strengthen ties between the two countries.
Ambassador Srivastava mentioned that Speaker Birla is interested in visiting Nepal and also invited Speaker Aryal and Nepali lawmakers to India to observe the country’s parliamentary practices. The two countries have seen regular visits by parliamentarians, but visits by the Speakers of the two parliaments have been infrequent in recent years.
Aryal emphasized the strong relations between Nepal and India, based on shared civilization, geographical proximity, and cultural ties. He highlighted the expansion of bilateral relations through cooperation in various sectors like trade, security, civil aviation, and connectivity. Aryal also stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in enhancing mutual understanding and bilateral relations.
The Nepali Speaker acknowledged the Indian Parliament as a model for Nepal’s democracy, praising its role in upholding democratic values. He commended India for its digital parliamentary initiatives and expressed Nepal’s interest in learning from India’s technology-enabled legislative practices. Aryal thanked India for its support during Nepal’s recent general elections and reiterated Nepal’s commitment to its relationship with India.
Ambassador Srivastava emphasized the significance of parliamentary diplomacy and high-level political dialogue in strengthening Nepal-India relations. He assured India’s dedication to continued cooperation with Nepal in various areas such as trade, connectivity, energy, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
