Pakistan, Lanka to enhance bilateral ties

The 11th Session of the Sri Lanka - Pakistan Joint Economic Commission was held in Colombo last week. Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi represented Pakistan at the forum while Minister for Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen represented Sri Lanka.

Minister Jatoi said that the newly elected government in Pakistan is very keen to strengthen economic relationships with countries in the region and Sri Lanka is one of the most important neighbours in this context. He expressed the hope that deliberations of this Joint Economic Commission would prepare concrete and significant recommendations to advance further growth in various areas of mutual interest. Pakistan is mindful of the fact that existing cordial and friendly relations between the two countries can be further translated into substantial economic and commercial cooperation, he said.

Minister Bathiudeen said that Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been enjoying extremely cordial relations as Pakistan has been a very close and genuine friend of Sri Lanka. He noted that the countries are connected by deep-rooted mutual cooperation, while sharing common views on many bilateral, regional and international issues. Both nations have always stood by each other, in much needed and difficult times, the Minister added. As a follow-up to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's offer to assist Sri Lanka in the sugar sector, Pakistan's Minister for Industries and Productions called on Sri Lanka's Minister for Sugar Industry Development Lakshman Seneviratne. The Ministers had detailed discussions about prospects for enhanced bilateral cooperation and agreed to collaborate closely in setting up sugar industries in Sri Lanka with the assistance of Pakistan.

The Pakistani side agreed to the Sri Lankan proposal for charting out and formalising cooperation between the Sugar Research Institutes of the two countries with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation.

- Asian Tribune