Kathmandu, Mar. 5: Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat left here today at the head of a 7-member parliamentary delegation to visit Australia at the friendly invitation of the parliament of Australia.

Talking to the press at the vip lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport on the eve of his departure, Speaker Ranabhat said that during the visit, the Nepalese delegation would have meeting and talks with chairmen and members of both the House of the Australian Parliament, leaders of opposition parties, Ministers, personalities of business organisations on various topics on expanding relations between Nepal and Australia.

Present at the airport to see off the delegation were chairman of the National Assembly Dr. Mohammed Mohasin, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Mrs Chitralekha Yadav, high officials of the Australian Embassy and the officials of the parliament secretariat.

The delegation includes wife of the Speaker Mrs Narmada Ranabhat, vice chairman of the National Assembly Chiranjibi Prasad Rijal and mps Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Raghuji Panta and Rajendra Mahato and under secretary at the parliament secretariat Manohar Prasad Bhattarai.