Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dinesh Gunawardena.Foreign Minister Paudyal, who is in Sri Lanka to attend 75th Independence Day of Sri Lanka, met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Gunawardena on Friday.

On the occasion, they discussed the various issues of mutual cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Saying Nepal and Sri Lanka have been friends for a very long time, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressed commitment to move ahead with mutual cooperation.

Earlier to this, Foreign Minister Paudyal met her Sri Lankan counterpart, M.U.M Ali Sabry. Minister Paudyal attended the special cultural event organised on the eve of the Independence Day on Friday itself.

She attended the ceremony of hoisting the national flag and parade organised on the occasion of Independence Day of Sri Lanka this morning. Foreign Minister Paudyal is scheduled to pay courtesy call on President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe today.