Sri Lanka to review progress of economic and trade relations with Pakistan

By Nuzla Rizkiya 

Sri Lanka will review the progress of its economic and trade relations with Pakistan at the bilateral discussions set to take place at the end of this month, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced yesterday. 

A Sri Lankan delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, will visit Pakistan for the seventh round of bilateral political consultations, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on July 30, 2024, the ministry said. 

“The consultations are expected to review the current status of the bilateral relations and the progress achieved in areas of cooperation such as economic and trade, defence and security, education, culture, media and sports, consular matters, agriculture as well as technology,” the ministry said in a statement. 

The consultations will be co-chaired by the foreign secretaries of both countries. 

The Sri Lankan delegation will include the high commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, high commission of Sri Lanka in Islamabad and senior officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.  

Additionally, Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary will also call on Pakistan deputy prime minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, on the sidelines of the consultations, the Foreign Ministry said. 

In January, Sri Lanka and Pakistan expressed their interest for an agreement to strengthen bilateral relations, primarily through trade and investment by exchanging high-level visits and engagement.  

Thie agreement was announced during the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Kampala, Uganda, at a meeting between Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and Pakistan Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. 

The last round of bilateral political consultations between Sri Lanka and Pakistan were held virtually in December 2020.