Foreign Secretary stresses need to:

Operationalize Joint Commission with Nepal

Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona currently on a visit to Nepal, paid courtesy calls on Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar and Nepal Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala on July 27, 2009.

Dr. Kohona also held discussions with Gyan Chandra Acharya, his counterpart on bilateral relations between the two countries at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Katmandu.

The two parties highlighted the need to operationalize the Joint Commission that was established between Nepal and Sri Lanka during the State visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Nepal in March, 2009.

The Joint Commission covers nearly 15 areas of co-operation including trade, direct air links, education, health, global warming and climate change issues.

Co-operation in the field of promoting tourism, sharing of expertise on the health and education systems of Sri Lanka and revival of co-operation between the Business Councils of the two Lanka's willingness to assist Nepal to develop a mechanism to attract foreign direct investment similar to that of the Board of Investment (BOI) in Sri Lanka.

A Nepal delegation is expected to visit the BOI in the next few weeks.

Dr. Kohona who is also the current chair of the SAARC Standing Committee paid a visit to the SAARC Secretariat in Katmandu. He held discussions with Dr. Sheel Kant Sharma, Secretary General of SAARC and the SAARC Directors on the progress being achieved during the Chairmanship of Sri Lanka.

They also discussed the importance of adopting measures to counter the adverse effects of climate change as a region, the status of the SAARC Development Fund and the SAARC Food Bank and other important projects undertaken under the aegis of SAARC.