COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena emphasized the need for further expanding economic relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and invited Pakistani investors to invest in sugar and cement industries of his country.
According to a statement, he stated this when Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Tehmina Janjua called on him at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday.
He said that Pakistan could invest in sugar and cement industries as there is a huge requirement of sugar and cement in Sri Lanka. He pointed out that currently Sri Lanka produces only 20 percent of the sugar requirement of the country.
President Sirisena recalled the long-standing bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and emphasized the need to further consolidate the relationship.
He expressed gratitude for assistance provided by Pakistan to Sri Lanka as a true friend and a brother, during the period of conflict in the country. He also expressed special thanks for the assistance given by Pakistan to Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council.
President Sirisena said that Sri Lanka would extend support to Pakistan to hold the next Summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and said it is important to strengthen SAARC to ensure regional cooperation.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary assured that Pakistan would continue to assist Sri Lanka. She said that Pakistan will assist to take the economic and trade relationship between the two countries to a stronger level.
Ms Janjua said she attended the UNHRC Session in Geneva in September and she was glad that she could speak in support of Sri Lanka at the forum. She said that Pakistan would assist Sri Lanka’s livestock and milk production sectors and programmes have been already formulated in consultation with Sri Lankan institutions.
