President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari is embarking on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka on Friday (May 12).

At the invitation of her Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena, President Bhandari is leaving for Sri Lanka to participate in the official ceremony of the International Vesak Day celebrations to be held in Colombo on May 13.

This will be her second visit to the island after becoming head of the state in 2015 October.

Sri Lanka has invited all the State leaders of Buddhist countries of the world to take part in the ceremony.

According to Nepal’s President Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Bhandari will grace as chief guest in Kandy, Sri Lanka on May 14 during the closing ceremony of the event that will officially begin on May 12.

Though the visit has been confirmed after the nod from President herself, the Cabinet is yet to endorse the visit and size of the delegation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest for the UN Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo on May 12 while President Bhandari has confirmed her participation for the closing ceremony to be held in Kandy of May 14, according to Sri Lankan media reports.

Apart from engaging in the official function, President Bhandari will meet her Sri Lankan counterpart and other senior Sri Lankan officials in the sidelines of the occasion, said officials.

Source: Kathmandu Post

-Agencies