International   

Pak. pledges support for Sri Lanka's peace initiatives

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO Aug. 1. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, today pledged support for Sri Lanka's initiatives to resolve its decades-long ethnic conflict. ``Pakistan will continue always to give moral, political, diplomatic and material support to Sri Lanka at all times'', Gen. Musharraf told Sri Lankan editors at a breakfast meeting. Pakistan's commitment and support to the peace efforts was a dominant theme during the one-day visit, with Gen. Musharraf making similar commitments at last night's banquet hosted in his honour by the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and during his meeting with the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, today.

``Pakistan is with Sri Lanka all the way'', he told the editors, adding ``we are extremely glad at political developments in Sri Lanka''.

Referring to the current peace process he said, ``we hope and pray that the dialogue between the Government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leads to peace, because your land has suffered two decades of strife''.

Lauding the Sri Lanka Army, he said ``I am from the Army. I cannot resist talking about the military for having sustained this operation for 20 years. I know the pressures when colleagues suffer and casualties occur. I must give full credit to the armed forces of Sri Lanka for having sustained 20 years of conflict in such a brave and heroic manner''.

Pakistan had responded to an international call by Sri Lanka for military support in May 2000, to check the advances of the Tigers towards the northern Jaffna peninsula.

The visit was marked by the signing of a Framework Treaty on the Free Trade Agreement by the Commerce Ministers of the two countries.

Memoranda of Understanding were also signed for co-operation in tourism, archaeology and cultural exchange.

Gen. Musharraf, who left here this evening for Beijing, said that it would be ``difficult'' to start direct flights between Sri Lanka and Pakistan ``in the immediate future'' because of the ``airspace restriction placed on us by India''.

However, Pakistan was ``examining the situation'' and it would like to ``initiate flights'' between the two countries, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• E.U. calls for J&K polls in a 'climate of freedom'
• India offers help to combat terrorism
• Pak. pledges support for Sri Lanka's peace initiatives
• U.S., ASEAN sign pact to combat terror
• Another step back in West Asia peace process
• Congress wants Bush to consult it on Iraq
• Can British fight in Iraq?
• Jenin: U.N. report rejects PA claim
• Diana memorial 'ugly, mediocre'
• Qatar annoys OIC partners
• China to buy Russian fighters
• LTTE replaces regional heads
• Pak. takes exception to ARF communique

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu