News
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Pak-Sri Lanka trade must reach $2bn in three years: Zardari* Sri Lankan president arrives in Pakistan for three-day visit
* Zardari calls for expanding bilateral trade
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday called for stepping up efforts to fully realise the potential of free trade agreement with Sri Lanka and building a mutually beneficial economic and trade partnership to jack up the bilateral trade from current $375 million to $2 billion target in the next three years.
The president said this during a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, followed by delegation-level talks at the Presidency.
He urged for further exploration of the currency-swap agreement with Sri Lanka, which, he said, would provide huge incentives to business houses in both the countries to actively explore and enhance business linkages.
Those who were present during the delegation-level meeting included, among others, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Secretary General to the President Salman Faruqui, Saleem H Mandviwala, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Special Secretary Maj (r) Haroon Rashid, Pakistani Ambassador to Sri Lanka Seema Ilahi Baloch, and other senior officials.
The Sri Lankan president was assisted by his External Affairs Minister Prof GL Peiris, Deputy Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunga, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Karunatilaka Amunugama and Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Pakistan ACM Jayalath Weerakkody.
Briefing the media, the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said matters regarding Pak-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, mutual cooperation with special reference to trade and commercial ties, besides regional and international issues, were discussed during the meeting.
The president welcomed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of his delegation to the Presidency and expressed hope that the visit would help boost bilateral ties between the peoples of the two countries. He said the ties between the two countries dated back to the days of Buddhist civilisation and had been marked by a shared interest in regional peace and stability, and fight against militancy.
The president, recalling his previous visit to Colombo in November 2010, said the two countries had always enjoyed special bonds of affinity. He remarked that the relations had also been marked by a measure of consistency and commonality of views on important regional and global issues and added that the two countries had stood together and supported each other in all the important matters concerning the two countries.
The president, during the meeting, called upon the business community and chambers of commerce of the two countries to fully avail the huge trade and business potential the two countries offered in diverse fields, including finance and banking sectors, science and technology, defence, agriculture, tourism, gems and jewellery, besides promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries.
He proposed the establishment of a direct shipping service between the two countries, which he said would help enhance the level of bilateral trade. The president appreciated the Sri Lankan government for important contribution made in assisting Pakistan to cope with the outbreak of dengue fever last year.
Eearlier, the Sri Lankan president, who arrived on Friday on a three-day state visit to Pakistan, was accorded a very warm welcome during a formal welcome ceremony held at the Presidency.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani received the Sri Lankan president upon his arrival at the Presidency. National anthems of the two countries were also played on the occasion. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk