July 16, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 15: The President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday received Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Tyronne Fernando, who called on him for a courtesy call.

Matters of bilateral interest were discussed during the meeting.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister will be holding formal talks with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday.

He will also have meetings with the Minister for Commerce and the Minister for Finance.—APP

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando arrived on Monday on a three-day visit aimed at easing tension between Pakistan and India, adds AFP.

A report from Colombo earlier said Fernando, engaged in a shuttle diplomacy to ease tensions between the Pakistan and India, will deliver a message from his Indian counterpart, Yashwant Sinha, to Inamul Haq.

“The Indian foreign minister requested me to convey it to Pakistan that although the cross-border terrorism has decreased, militant training camps are still operating,” officials quoted Fernando as saying before his departure to Islamabad.

However, an Indian foreign ministry source in New Delhi said: “There was no request to Sri Lanka to carry any message to Pakistan on India’s behalf.”