Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who left for Nepal to attend the 4th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), received a warm welcome when he arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Wednesday (29).

The President was received by the Nepali Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwar Pokhrel and senior officials. A guard of honor was accorded to the visiting President. Both sides of the road where the President is travelling decorated with the national flags of both countries displaying the relationship between the two countries during the past 60 years.

Following the welcoming ceremony the President engaged in a cordial discussion with the Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Oli. The Presidents of Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the Prime Ministers of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand and the Chief Advisor of the Bhutanese Government will be leading their respective delegations to the summit.

The leaders are to adopt the 4th BIMSTEC Summit Declaration 'Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region' on 31 August upon the conclusion of the summit. The President is scheduled to address the Summit on Friday (31st).At the conclusion of the summit, the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC will be handed over to Sri Lanka by the current Chair, Nepal.

During his stay in Nepal, President Sirisena will meet with his Nepali counterpart President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Nepalese Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli. The President will also attend a banquet hosted by the President of Nepal in his honor.