Sri Lanka and Pakistan have agreed to promote dialogue on security and defence issues, including training of security forces personnel.
A joint statement issued at the end of a four-day visit by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari here on Tuesday said that at a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, both leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms. Pakistan was one of the key allies of Sri Lanka in its fight against the LTTE. Besides, Sri Lankan defence personnel at various levels are trained in Pakistan.
The joint statement said Mr. Zardari felicitated Mr. Rajapaksa on the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Mr. Rajapaksa reiterated appreciation for the assistance provided by Pakistan. “Both leaders agreed on the need for an increase in the frequency of high level visits between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, including at the summit level and at the level of the Parliaments, especially based on Parliamentary Friendship Associations established in each of the national Parliaments,” it said.
It was agreed to hold the 10th session of the Joint Economic Commission, which is co-chaired at the ministerial level, in the first quarter of 2011 in order to fashion a fuller agenda of bilateral cooperation in various fields.
It was decided that Sri Lanka should receive at the earliest possible an official level delegation from Pakistan that would, in association with its Sri Lanka counterparts, discuss and identify the technical arrangements for follow-up on the understandings reached between the two Presidents.
