Kathmandu, 15 July: The Lao People's Democratic Republic  has appointed entrepreneur  Raju Shrestha as its Honorary Consul to Nepal. Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Durga Bahadur Subedi and Deputy Chief of the Mission  (DCM)of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Delhi Keo Sengdavong   jointly  presented the certificate of Consul to Shrestha amidst a function in Kathmandu on Friday evening. Chief of Protocol Dr Subedi  said that the The Lao People's Democratic Republic, being a country of Buddhist faith held enormous potential religious tourism in Nepal, including trade and investment. With the appointment of Shrestha as the Honorary Consul, the Consulate General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic has been established in Thamel, Kathmandu. DCM Keo and Chief of Protocol Subedi jointly inaugurated  it following the presentation of letter of appointment the same evening. Recalling the  steadily growing bilateral relations ever since the establishment of  bilateral diplomatic ties between Nepal and  Lao People's Democratic Republic  in 1960, Honorary Consul  Shrestha expressed his commitment to further strengthen  bilateral bond of affinity and socio-economic ties between the two countries. He informed that a renowned ophthalmologist of Nepal, Sanduk Ruit led a eye treatment  camp for the Lao people in the past and added that he will continue to expand  such noble tasks  in the coming days as well. DCM Keo said that Lao people wanted to cooperate with Nepal in the fields of tourism, trade and investment. He thanked  the government of Nepal for allocating an area for the establishment of a monastery in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. The programme was attended by scores of  Napal-based Honorary Consuls of various countries. People's News Monitoring Service