PM Dahal in Lumbini to welcome UN Secretary General

KATHMANDU: The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, today.

The UN high official, who is on a four-day official visit to Nepal, is arriving here from Pokhara. He is arriving in Lumbini via helicopter from the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa.

After arriving in Lumbini, Guterres will be escorted in a car from Lumbini Gate No 4 up to the Peace Lamp site.

Sanu Raja Shakya, the member-secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), said that the Buddhist abbots, vikkhus, priests, nuns from the monasteries and the local mothers’ groups, various community groups including the indigenous Tharu and the hotel entrepreneurs at the Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality will welcome the UN Secretary-General from the Shanti Deep (peace lamp) to the Mayadebi Temple, lining up on both sides of the route.

It is said that Guterres will give a message of world peace from the Buddha’s birthplace. He will plant a sapling in Lumbini.  SecretaryGeneral Guterres will leave here for Kathmandu at 10.30 am.

LDT senior director Gyanin Rai said the UN Secretary-General’s visit to the world heritage site, Lumbini, will give further publicity to the Buddha’s birthplace and his message of peace. It will also help promote tourism in Lumbini.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reached Lumbini to welcome the United Nations Secretary General.

Along with PM Dahal, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Dil Bahadur Chaudhary and LDT officials will also welcome the visiting UN dignitary.

Minister Kirati and Chief Minister Chaudhary arrived here on Monday itself.

Earlier this morning, the UN Secretary General had left for Annapurna Base Camp.