Arusha, Tanzania: Speaker of the House of Representatives Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal has held a courtesy meeting with his Australian parliamentary counterpart on the sidelines of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Arusha, Tanzania.
During the meeting, Speaker Aryal said Nepal-Australia relations have continued to strengthen since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1960, based on friendship, mutual respect and shared democratic values.
Aryal expressed gratitude to the Australian government for the humanitarian assistance and support provided for search and rescue operations following the sudden floods in the Bhotekoshi area of Nepal.
He also expressed condolences to the families of Australian nationals who went missing in the disaster and appreciated Australia’s solidarity and support during the emergency.
Speaker Aryal highlighted the growing impact of climate change on Nepal and other mountainous countries. He expressed Nepal’s expectation for continued Australian support and solidarity in international discussions and initiatives aimed at addressing climate change.
The two sides also discussed parliamentary cooperation between Nepal and Australia. Aryal said the formation of the Nepal-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group provides an important foundation for further strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries.
He emphasized the importance of regular interaction and exchange of experiences between lawmakers of the two countries, as well as greater use of parliamentary diplomacy to deepen bilateral relations.
Aryal also noted the significant role played by Nepali students studying in Australia and the Nepali-origin community in strengthening people-to-people ties between Nepal and Australia.
The Speaker said establishing direct air connectivity between Nepal and Australia could make a significant contribution to expanding cooperation in tourism, education and people-to-people relations. He urged Australia to cooperate in efforts to promote direct air links between the two countries.
The Australian parliamentary counterpart expressed Australia’s interest in further strengthening parliamentary and bilateral relations with Nepal.
Speaker Aryal reiterated Nepal’s commitment to further strengthening Nepal-Australia relations at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
He expressed confidence that closer cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries would contribute to taking Nepal-Australia relations to a new level.
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