Pakistan urges enhanced cooperation with Sri Lanka

Visiting Pakistan Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan (fourth from right) with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe. Pakistan High Commissioner Maj Gen (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain, Minister for Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayake are also present

The Federal Minister for Commerce of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Engr. KhurramDastgir Khan called on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees yesterday. The Minister was accompanied by High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka Maj Gen (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain and a high level official delegation. Industry and CommerceMinisterRishad Bathiudeen, Commerce and Industry Secretary T.M.K.B. Tennakoon and other high ranking officials were also present during the call on Wickremesinghe.

The Pakistani Commerce Minister thanked the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for the warm welcome and the hospitality extended towards the Pakistani delegation. He also conveyed the message of felicitations from Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif to Wickremesinghe on his historic election victory and re-election as Prime Minister,

Khan underlined that Sri Lanka enjoys the exceptional position of being the first country with which Pakistan entered into a Free Trade Agreement in 2002, which is reflective of the trust that Pakistan has in Sri Lanka’s economic potential. 

The Minister expressed the hope to broaden and deepen the bilateral FTA through the inclusion of services and investments in its ambit.

The Minister emphasised that Pakistan and Sri Lanka need to diversify their existing trading patterns by focusing on non-traditional items of import and export and by creating more trade linkages between provinces and regions within the two countries.

Khan said that Pakistan was a GSP plus country which could be utilised and benefited by the Sri Lankan businesses. The Minister assured that the Government of Pakistan was ready to allocate space to the Sri Lankan investors in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that would entitle them to benefit from all the concessions and exemptions accorded to SEZs.

The Minister said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy commonalities of views on major regional and global issues and have close cooperation in the regional and multilateral fora.

The Commerce Minister requested the Prime Minister to ease visa facilities and issue multiple visas to Pakistani businessmen and investors to facilitate their travel to Sri Lanka on regular basis.

The Minister also informed the Prime Minister that Pakistan, with more than 50 sugar mills and ability to produce sugar machinery, is in a position to invest in Sri Lanka to develop its sugar sector.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen the bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries especially in cement, sugar, higher education and pharmaceutical sectors.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe expressed the commitment of his Government to further strengthen the already strong relationship between the two countries. 

While appreciating Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan had been extending all-out support to Sri Lanka at bilateral and international forums. 

The Prime Minister welcomed the prospects of Pakistani investments in cement and sugar sectors and assured his Government’s support to promote the bilateral trade.

During his visit, the Commerce Minister will also call on Minister for Public Administration Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Minister for Industry and CommerceBathiudeen and Minister for Megapolis and Western Development Champika Ranawaka.

Khan will also participate in the first official high level Business Interaction Forum between the two countries organised by the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka. The Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Interaction Forum is planned to be held in Colombo today, 11November, with the participation of prominent business representatives of both sides.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have maintained close, cordial and mutually-supportive relations since 1948. The relationship is broad-based and multifaceted covering diverse fields like diplomatic, political, commercial, defence, people to people contacts and cultural exchange.