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Imran visit ends on a positive note
Snapshots of a landmark visit
What had been an awkward build-up over the cancellation of an address to Parliament was all but forgotten as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s two-day official visit to the country ended with both countries reaching “broad consensus” on ways and means to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Premier Khan arrived on Tuesday evening along with a high level delegation. He was greeted at the Bandaranaike International Airport by Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa and accorded a red-carpet reception upon arrival, followed by a formal welcoming ceremony, where he was given a 19-gun salute and a guard-of-honour.
The two premiers held bilateral talks later that evening at Temple Trees, and also jointly addressed the media. Prime Minister Rajapaksa pointed out that though it was his first visit as PM to the country, Mr Khan was much admired by millions of Sri Lankans for his leadership as a former Captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Mr Rajapaksa described Pakistan as a valuable bilateral partner and noted that Sri Lanka considers Pakistan to be a close and genuine friend. He added that Pakistan had stood by Sri Lanka in times of great need and noted its steadfast support when fighting the LTTE.
“This visit is to strengthen our bilateral relationship. It is to strengthen our trading ties,” Mr Khan said. He said they discussed ways on which Sri Lanka could benefit from Pakistan’s connectivity. He noted that both countries had been hit hard by “the common problem” of terrorism and that he was pleased that Pakistan played a part in helping Sri Lanka end terrorism. He added that their talks also focused on working together to ensure that poorer countries obtain debt relief as they have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pakistani Premier also held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday at the Presidential Secretariat.
The two leaders had discussed cooperation across diverse fields, particularly agriculture, tourism, science & technology, sports, education and culture. The importance of sharing experiences in poverty alleviation was also discussed, according to the President’s Office and the Pakistani High Commission.
Five Memoranda of Understanding for cooperation in several fields including tourism, technology and education were signed during the visit.
Mr Khan participated in a “Trade and Investment Conference” at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo on Wednesday afternoon and also attended a lunch hosted by Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa.
Mr Khan met separately with 15 MPs representing the Muslim community.
The Pakistani Premier also invited President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to visit Pakistan.