Speaker Aryal, Indian envoy discuss parliamentary ties, connectivity

KATHMANDU, July 9: Speaker DP Aryal held a courtesy meeting with Naveen Srivastava on Thursday, during which the two discussed Nepal-India relations, parliamentary cooperation and connectivity.

During the meeting, Aryal thanked the India government for its logistical support during Nepal's recent elections and said the government's completion of its first 100 days reflected the mandate given by the Nepali people.

He said Nepal-India relations are rooted in shared civilization, geographical proximity and cultural and social ties, adding that bilateral cooperation has continued to strengthen through mechanisms covering trade, security, civil aviation, water resources and connectivity. He also expressed hope for the expansion of air, rail and bus links between the two countries.

The Speaker said he had invited Om Birla to visit Nepal and expressed readiness to welcome him at a mutually convenient time.

Highlighting parliamentary diplomacy, Aryal said the newly formed Nepal-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, led by lawmaker Bipin Acharya, would help deepen inter-parliamentary cooperation. He also expressed interest in learning from India's digital parliamentary practices, including its paperless legislative system and the National e-Vidhan Application.

Ambassador Srivastava said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was interested in visiting Nepal and invited Speaker Aryal and Nepali lawmakers to visit India to study its parliamentary practices. He added that parliamentary diplomacy and high-level political dialogue would further strengthen Nepal-India ties and reaffirmed India's commitment to cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people relations.