ISLAMABAD: Prime Min­­­­­ister Nawaz Sharif will visit Sri Lanka from Jan 4 to 6 on the invitation of the president of Sri Lanka.

During his stay in Colombo, he will meet Sri Lankan Pre­sident Maithri­pala Sirisena.

According to the Foreign Office, a number of memoranda of understanding and agreements for cooperation in various fields will be signed during the visit.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minis­ter Ranil Wickremasinghe will host a lunch in honour of Mr Sharif.

Sri Lankan parliamentarians, religious leaders and businessmen will call on the prime minister during the visit.

PM Sharif will address a gathering of ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials, top businessmen and members of the diplomatic corps.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy friendly and cordial relations. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1948.

Being members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and Commonwealth, Pakistan and Sri Lanka cooperate closely and coordinate with each other on issues of common interest and regional and international concern.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2016