Nepal and Sri Lanka are holding the joint commission meeting at foreign ministers’ level from Wednesday to Friday in Kathmandu. Established in March 3, 2009, the joint commission is the highest level mechanism between the two countries that is mandated to review, update and open new vistas of bilateral ties.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will be in Kathmandu on December 20-22 for the inaugural session of the Sri Lanka-Nepal Joint Commission, Sri Lankan foreign ministry announced on Monday. Sabry will lead the Sri Lankan delegation and co-chair the inaugural session with his counterpart Narayan Prakash Saud, foreign minister of Nepal, reads the statement.

The newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal Air Chief Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana called on Foreign Minister Saud on Monday and discussed the possible agenda of the meeting among others, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier in September in New York, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal also met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. During the meeting President Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is keen to expand its longstanding relationship with Nepal into a dynamic political, trade and business partnership by diversifying the areas of cooperation.

Both leaders looked forward to enhancing connectivity between Sri Lanka and Nepal, and explored avenues on interconnecting the tourism sectors of the two countries.

“They both assented that there is potential to increase economic cooperation between the two countries by increasing trade and investment as well as enhancing people to people contact through the provision of education opportunities,” a statement by the president’s media division said on September 20.

Wickremesinghe pointed out that the inaugural session of the Sri Lanka-Nepal Joint Commission, scheduled to be held in Kathmandu, would be an important step towards expanding the two countries’ longstanding relationship.

Prime Minister Dahal had said that there is a close understanding and cooperation between the two countries and expressed confidence that this will be further strengthened in the coming years. The Joint Commission will focus on a range of areas of bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Nepal including trade and investment, tourism, education, defence, culture, connectivity and people-to-people contacts, said the Sri Lankan foreign ministry statement.

During the Joint Commission, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation will also be signed, the ministry said.

On the sidelines of the Joint Commission, Foreign Minister Sabry is scheduled to have bilateral talks with his Nepali counterpart Saud and will also pay courtesy calls on President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

During the visit, Sabry will meet Sri Lankan expats as well.

In the past, according to the Nepali Embassy in Colombo, Nepal and Sri Lanka have signed and established various bodies and mechanisms ranging from air service agreement, bilateral trade agreement, cultural agreement, avoidance of double taxation agreement, the establishment of Nepal-Sri Lanka parliamentary friendship association, the establishment of Nepal-Sri Lanka business council in Colombo, the establishment of Nepal-Sri Lanka friendship and business council in Colombo, and the formation of Nepal-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industries, among others.

Some of these agreements and apex bodies have failed to deliver desired results including direct air connectivity between Kathmandu and Colombo due to lack of regular visits and interaction between the leaders, officials, members of the business community among others, said officials.

In February this year, the then foreign minister Bimala Rai Paudyal visited Colombo to take part in 75th Independence Day of the island nation where she discussed revitalising the stalled Saarc process, air connectivity from Sri Lanka to Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, cultural exchanges, promotion of Buddhist philosophy in Nepal, issue of climate change and crisis it has brought upon, tourism, education, energy with the Sri Lankan leaders including president, prime minister and foreign minister.