Speaker of the House of Representatives Dev Raj Ghimire and Irish President Michael D Higgins held talks in Dublin on Saturday.

During the meeting at the Irish President’s Office, the duo went over topics of bilateral relations and mutual interests, said Tej Prakash Bhattarai, chief personal secretary to the speaker.

Ghimire stated that in the 24 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, high-level relations and communications between the nations had improved immensely.

The Speaker also mentioned that despite geographical distance, the art, culture, and music of the two countries had kept them close.

“Our countries have common values of world peace, friendship, and harmony. Our commitment towards democracy, human rights, law, and freedom are also common,” Ghimire was quoted as saying.

President Higgins mentioned that he was aware of Nepal’s movement towards strengthening democracy by overthrowing the monarchy, and further added that both the countries were naturally wealthy.

He further added that both countries could work in agriculture and tourism sectors in Nepal through the Nepal-Ireland friendship groups.

Ghimire, who led a three-member Nepali delegation to Ireland, is scheduled to return to Nepal on Sunday.