ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga arrived here late on Monday night on a three-day official visit during which four agreements and two MoUs will be signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

All the agreements and MoUs would be signed at the Prime Minister's House here on Wednesday, it is learnt.

Announcing the pacts to be signed between the two countries, Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said at his weekly news briefing here on Monday: "The Sri Lankan President, along with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, will witness the signing of protocol to the Free Trade Agreement, Agreement on granting Exemption from Visa Fees by Students, MoU for Technical Assistance in the Field of Gemology and Jewellery, MoU between Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Sri Lankan Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP) for cooperation in the field of agriculture. Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and an Agreement on US$10 million credit facility to Sri Lanka are expected to be finalised and signed during the visit."

On arrival at the Chaklala Airforce base President Kumaratunga was received by Federal Minister of Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi, who will also be her Minister-in-waiting. Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Mr Salman Bashir, Additional Secretary for Asia Pacific, and Sri Lankan High Commissioner were also there to welcome her.

President Kumaratunga, who last visited Pakistan in January 2004 to attend the 12th Saarc Summit, is accompanied by a high-level delegation. Her 48-member entourage includes ministers of foreign affairs, development, businessmen and senior officials.

This is President Kumaratunga's second bilateral visit to Pakistan. Her first visit took place in 1997.

During her meetings here with the top Pakistani leadership issues of mutual concern would be discussed and means of further consolidating bilateral relations would be identified. The visit will also provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss latest developments in the region, particularly the postponement of the 13th Saarc Summit for a second time.

"The two sides will review bilateral relations with the view to strengthening them in all fields. They would also have a broad exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Matters relating to Saarc will also be discussed," the Foreign Office spokesman said.

President Kumaratunga will start her official engagements here on Tuesday with a meeting with her host President Gen Pervez Musharraf. The two leaders have had frequent meetings and contacts in the recent past.

"When President Musharraf visited Colombo in August 2002, the two leaders moved relations between the two countries to a higher plane of cooperation in diverse fields," Mr Masood Khan said.

President Kumaratunga will hold talks with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in his capacity as Saarc Chairman, visited Sri Lanka in Nov 2004, and held wide-ranging talks with President Kumaratunga. Both leaders had underlined the need to continue high-level interactions between the two countries to further develop their partnership for peace and development. They had also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of defence.

During his visit the Prime Minister offered US$ 10 million export credit facility to Sri Lanka and also announced doubling the number of scholarships to Sri Lankan students, and offered additional placements for Sri Lankan diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute. Students from the Sri Lanka have been pursuing studies in Pakistani institutions in fields such as engineering, business administration, information technology and medicines. Nearly 70 Sri Lankan students are currently pursuing studies, mostly in medical colleges in Pakistan.

Sri Lankan civil servants also attend training programmes in banking and postal service in Pakistan.

Pakistan considers Sri Lanka an important South Asian country and values the close and friendly relations with it, Mr Masood Khan maintained, adding that both countries were keen to further increase the economic and trade content of their relations.

He said the Joint Economic Commission of the two countries, scheduled to meet in Colombo in April, would consider measures to add greater substance to Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.

President Kumaratunga would also address leading businessmen from both countries at a local hotel here on Wednesday.

President Musharraf will host dinner in honour of the Sri Lankan President on Tuesday and the Prime Minister will host a lunch in her honour the following day.