Colombo, 24 Feb 2021 :Prime Minister Imran Khan met with the Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at the President House in Colombo today. The one-on-one meeting between the two leaders was followed by delegation-level talks. The talks were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere.

Prime Minister Imran Khan underlined the exceptional quality of Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations marked by trust, understanding and mutual support. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of building robust economic partnership characterized by enhanced bilateral trade, investments, and commercial cooperation.

The Prime Minister also laid emphasis on deeper collaboration in diverse fields —particularly agriculture, tourism, science & technology, sports, education and culture. The importance of sharing experiences in poverty alleviation was stressed.

The Prime Minister underlined that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood by each other. He re-affirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support to Sri Lanka in future.

The close cooperation between the two sides in the multilateral fora was re-affirmed.

While noting the close traditional and cultural ties between the two countries, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted that Pakistan has the potential of being achoice destination for religious tourism for Sri Lankan people. He particularly highlighted the rich Buddhist heritage of Pakistan.

In the regional context, Prime Minister Imran Khan shared his vision of peace, development, and connectivity.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation through the platform of SAARC and the opportunities for regional prosperity through CPEC, the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Prime Minister extended a cordial invitation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to visit Pakistan at the earliest convenience.