Sri Lanka, Pakistan hold fifth round of bilateral political consultations

Thursday, 19 October 2017 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The fifth round of bilateral political consultations between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka was held in Colombo on 17 October.

The Pakistan delegation was headed by the Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua while the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam.

During the bilateral consultations, both foreign secretaries noted with satisfaction the close and friendly relations rooted in history which have been strengthened over the years. They agreed to further consolidate the bilateral relations in all areas of mutual importance.

The two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. The prospects of cooperation in trade, investment, defence, education, science and technology, culture, tourism, capacity building, immigration and sports were discussed in detail. The two sides also reviewed legal, protocol and consular matters.

They also agreed that joint working groups would oversee the implementation of the agreements and MoUs signed between the two countries. Both sides agreed to expand the ambit of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSFTA). Sri Lanka welcomed the extension of credit lines of $ 200 million and $ 10 million by Pakistan and it was agreed to ensure their early implementation.

The Pakistani Foreign Secretary highlighted the grave human rights violations perpetrated by the Indian Occupation Forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir against the innocent Kashmiris. She emphasised that the international community should urge India to immediately put an end to these atrocities and ensure the early resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, as per the UN Security Council Resolutions.

The two foreign secretaries also reviewed cooperation at international and regional fora and agreed to jointly work to make SAARC a vibrant regional organisation.

Appreciating the effectiveness of the Foreign Secretary-level consultations, it was decided to hold the next round of consultations in Islamabad in October 2018.