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Wednesday, 25 March 2015 00:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, was greeted by President Maithripala Sirisena at a special ceremony held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo - Pix by Sudath Silva
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a brief state visit at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena.
The Emir of Qatar, who is on a tour of South Asia, was warmly welcomed upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena welcomed the Qatari leader with state honours at the Presidential Secretariat.
The Qatari leader’s visit is a first by a leader from the Middle East and Gulf region after President Sirisena was elected President of Sri Lanka.
The Emir of Qatar, accompanied by a high-level delegation, and the President of Sri Lanka held bilateral consultations at the Presidential Secretariat. The discussion centred on matters of bilateral significance. The main subjects included cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, labour relations, energy, air connectivity, etc.
Highlighting air travel between the two countries, with 28 flights per week and 12 bilateral agreements in place for cooperation in a wide array of fields, the President mentioned the immense potential for further cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
The Emir has pledged to widen investment opportunities in Sri Lanka for Qatari investors.
During the discussions, the Qatari leader pledged financial assistance to resolve the drinking water problem of the people in the north and east. The Qatar Government also expressed its willingness to support gas and oil exploration activities in Sri Lanka.
Congratulating the Emir of Qatar on winning host country status for the 2022 Football World Cup, the President expressed the hope that it would also open up more opportunities for Sri Lankans to participate in large-scale infrastructure projects that would be initiated.
Following the bilateral discussions, three Memorandums of Understanding were signed on cooperation in the field of sports and mutual cooperation on exchange of news and youth.
The Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose of strengthening the cooperation in the field of sports will focus on cooperation in the establishment of sporting facilities and development of handicapped athletes, among others aspects.
The high level delegation accompanied by the Emir of Qatar comprised the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance and Economy and Trade as well as senior officials of the Government of Qatar.
The Sri Lanka delegation, led by the President, included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Power and Energy, Tourism and Sports, Foreign Employment, Mass Media, Highways and Investment Promotion , Disaster Management, Industry and Commerce, Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, Muslim Religious Affairs and Posts, State Minister of Youth Affairs, a member of the Central Provincial Council, Secretary to the President, senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior Government officials.
