President meets South Asian leaders.

President Rajapaksa today held bilateral discussions with South Asian leaders on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit being held in Thimphu, Bhutan. The summit will commence this afternoon and will continue until 30th April 2010.

The President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed called on President Rajapaksa today at the Sri Lanka House at SAARC Village in Thimphu. The Maldivian President congratulated the President on the resounding election victory at the recently concluded Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The Maldivian President opinioned that the people of Sri Lanka had recognized very well the good work that had been carried out by the President and wanted the continuity of the same leadership.

The two leaders discussed several issues of bilateral importance including cooperation in the fisheries sector and sea route connectivity.

The Prime Minister of Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal called on President Rajapaksa yesterday (27).

The meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and friendship. The Nepali Prime Minister, at the outset, congratulated the President on his resounding election victory both in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The Nepali Prime Minister inquired about the status of the political parties in the Parliament and the strength of the ruling party. The Nepali Prime Minister was keen to learn from Sri Lanka experiences and inquired as to how Sri Lanka weakened and defeated the LTTE. He explained the difficulties the Nepal going through at the moment and his Government’s efforts to reach consensus with the Maoists Party to finalize a new constitution.

The President stressed the importance of Sri Lanka’s relationship with Nepal which is the sacred Birth place of the Lord Buddha and very dear to the majority Buddhist community. The President inquired about the progress of the Lumbini Development Project and expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to support the development of Lumbini. He also recalled the inauguration of the Sri Lanka monastery complex in Lumbini during his recent visit to Nepal. The two leaders agreed to work closely to promote bilateral relations. The Nepali Prime Minister requested the President to consider recommencing direct flights to Nepal. The President responded saying that this matter would be seriously considered.

Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs, Namal Rajapaksa, MP, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, Mr. Romesh Jayasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and other senior officials were present at the meeting.

By Courtesy of www.news.lk
28th April 2010.