Pakistani leader to strengthen solidarity and cordial relations:

President Zardari here on state visit

by Manjula FERNANDO

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday evening on a four-day landmark State visit aimed at bolstering bilateral ties. This is his first official visit to Sri Lanka.

President Zardari was received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Cabinet Ministers. The Armed Forces accorded a Guard of Honour to the visiting President, followed by a 21-gun salute. President Rajapaksa introduced him to his Ministers and the Services Chiefs. He is accompanied by 40 member team comprising Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Chairman Board of Investment Saleem Mandviwala, President of the Pakistani Chamber of Commerce, senior officials and top business figures.

The Pakistani leader is the first Head of State to visit Sri Lanka after the swearing-in of President Rajapaksa for the second term.

“This bilateral visit which is the first after eight years by a Pakistani Head of State to Sri Lanka will showcase the solidarity and cordial relations the two States shared during difficult times and now during a time of peace,” a senior diplomat told Sunday Observer.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited Sri Lanka in 2008 but his trip was in the capacity of the SAARC Chair. The last Pakistani Head of State to visit Lanka in a bilateral capacity was President Pervez Musharaff in July 2002.

The Pakistani leader will hold discussions with President Rajapaksa on Sunday afternoon prior to which Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne and External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris will call on him for bilateral exchanges. Foreign Minister Qureshi will hold separate talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof. Peiris.

The two Heads of State are expected to take up a gamut of bilateral issues including trade, investment and defence. “But the focus will be on the economic front,” a spokesperson for Pakistani High Commission said.

The discussions are also expected to touch on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Sri Lanka shares a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan that had been in operation since 2005. This is Pakistan’s first FTA with any country in Asia. Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka in South Asia after India, with bilateral trade exceeding US$ 350 million.

On Monday afternoon President Zardari is expected to preside over a business forum, that will bring together top businessmen and CEOs of flagship companies to explore trade and investment opportunities across the two borders, at the Colombo Hilton.

His itinerary includes a signing of MoUs between the two federations of Chambers of Commerce in the field of Investment and Trade. He will visit Parliament on Monday where he will interact with Sri Lanka - Pakistan Friendship Association members and its President A.H.M. Fowzie.

Briefing journalists Spokesperson to the Pakistan President Farhatullah Babar said that the President’s four-day visit will focus on discussion on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues.

“The visit is aimed at further strengthening the bilateral ties between the peoples of the two countries which date back to the days of Buddhist civilization and have been marked by a shared interest in regional peace and stability and fight against militancy,” Babar said.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Seema Ilahi Baloch told reporters that the two countries already had cooperation in political, defence, culture and trade and the visit would deepen these ties besides strengthening people to people contact.

She said President Zardari would hold talks with Sri Lankan leaders on enhancing economic cooperation within the ambit of the Free Trade Agreement signed between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2002. Extensive discussions on tourism, cultural ties and media relations are also expected, she added.

She said Pakistan played a key role in helping Sri Lanka to curb the menace of terrorism. The two countries will extend cooperation in sharing experiences to curb terrorism and improve coordination for achieving greater success. A statement from the Pakistani Foreign Office described President Zardari’s visit as part of a long tradition of high-level contacts and exchanges between the two countries. President Zardari will also congratulate President Rajapaksa on assuming his office for the second term, after the overwhelming victory in the January 26 election.