PM Imran Khan Arrives in Sri Lanka on Two-day Maiden Visit

PM Imran Khan arrived in Colombo on Tuesday on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka.

The prime minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razzak Dawood, and Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari.

Imran Khan was presented with the Guard of Honour upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

Premier had a one-on-one meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees in Colombo.

As being reported, matters related to mutual interests and bilateral relations came under discussion.

A  joint press conference was held after the meeting, at which PM Imran Khan spoke about his first visit to the country.

The prime minister underscored that Pakistan and Sri Lanka were facing issues such as terrorism.

“Pakistan has been the victim of the worst terrorism for ten years, sacrificing 70,000 lives over the past decade,” he stated.

PM Khan also invited Sri Lanka to promote its economic and regional ties through Pakistan.

“Through the CPEC [China–Pakistan Economic Corridor], economic ties can be extended to Central Asia and Sri Lanka,” he added. Pakistan is an “important component” of the CPEC, which he said would “open new avenues for the development of regional ties”.

A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the two countries.

During the two-day visit, in high-level talks, the two sides will discuss ways to promote bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade, investment, health, education, agriculture, and science and technology.

Pakistani premier will also participate in Joint Trade and Investment Conference. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have strong friendly relations since 1948. The Prime Minister’s visit will help further strengthen the bilateral relationship.