FO confirms PM Imran Khan’s tour to Sri Lanka

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka from February 23.

PM Imran Khan will be visiting on the invitation of Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa. This will be his first visit to Sri Lanka after assuming office. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Cabinet and senior officials

The prime minister is scheduled to hold meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He will also lead the delegation-level talks, covering all areas of cooperation between the two countries including trade and investment, health and education, agriculture and science & technology, defence and security and culture and tourism.

Besides bilateral matters, views will be exchanged on key regional and international issues. During the visit, the reconstitution of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Association will be also announced to further promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.

He will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries. A number of MoUs to enhance bilateral cooperation will be signed during the visit. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have maintained close, cordial and mutually supportive relations since 1948.

The Foreign Office said the two countries share views on a wide range of international and regional issues. It said the visit would help further strengthen the Pakistan-Sri Lanka relationship and enhance mutual cooperation in diverse fields.

The tour’s confirmation comes amid reports that Sri Lanka cancelled the prime minister’s scheduled address to the country’s parliament due to coronavirus restrictions.

Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage told local media that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had asked the government to cancel the address as he could not ensure full attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that Colombo had added Imran Khan’s address at the request of Islamabad.

The newspaper reported that the address could have also been cancelled due to fears of certain government officials that it might “sour” ties with India. The address was scheduled to take place on February 24 and would have made Imran Khan the third Pakistani leader after President Ayub Khan and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to address the Sri Lankan legislature.