Lanka President to visit Pakistan next week

Colombo, Mar 22 (UNI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is scheduled to pay a three-day state visit to Pakistan from March 31 at the invitation of the Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.

''President will be discussing with Pakistani leaders a range of bilateral matters, including avenues for further enhancing cooperation between the two countries, and the progress made in the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which was operationalised in June 2005,'' a statement from the Lankan Foreign Ministry said here today.

In addition to the official programme in Islamabad, Mr Rajapakse is expected to visit Lahore and meet the representatives of the business community in Karachi.

The delegation accompanying Mr Rajapakse will include Mrs Rajapakse, several Cabinet Ministers and senior officials.

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