Speaker of Lok Sabha meets President

Speaker of Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Parliament of India, Meira Kumar called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday at Temple Trees.

The Speaker was accompanied by Prof. P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India, and T.K. Viswanathan, Secretary General, Lok Sabha.

The meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and the Speaker conveyed her appreciation for the arrangements made by Sri Lankan officials for hosting the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and expressed thanks for the warm hospitality accorded to the delegations.

She stressed the need for greater parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. She also expressed happiness that the exposition of the Sacred Kapilavastu Relics in Sri Lanka had attracted an overwhelming public response.

President Rajapaksa thanked the Government of India for agreeing to extend the period of exposition of the Kapilavastu Relics by a week and conveyed that over 3.5 million Sri Lankans had paid their respects to the Relics.

The two leaders also discussed the political situation in Sri Lanka, the developmental activities being undertaken by the Government, and enhancing bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, education and tourism, including establishing greater connectivity with the various States of India.

Later in the day, the Speaker also met Prof. G.L. Peiris, the Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris welcomed India’s intensive engagement with Sri Lanka, noting the series of high-level visits over the past few months. He referred to the forthcoming visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India as a continuation of this process.

The two leaders also discussed issues relating to constitutional procedures and best practices, strategies for inclusive development, and youth empowerment.