ISLAMABAD: Sri Lankan Minister for External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris on Friday invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the Commonwealth summit being held in Colombo in November.

Mr Peiris is on a two-day visit to Pakistan to deliver a letter from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, inviting Mr Sharif and his spouse to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The Commonwealth summit is being held on Nov 15-17.

During his stay in Islamabad, Mr Peiris met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

The Sri Lankan minister informed the Pakistani leadership that Sri Lanka would support Pakistan’s candidature to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

Mr Dar has also been invited to participate in the Commonwealth Business Forum, which will be held on the sidelines of the CHOGM.

Prime Minister Sharif in his meeting with Mr Peiris called for broadening ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka by further increasing trade as well as investments.

The issue of enhancing economic cooperation was further discussed at the meeting between Mr Peiris and Mr Aziz.

Both sides agreed on convening the meeting of the bilateral Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in October in Colombo.

“Meeting of the JEC would go a long way in proposing ways and means of enhancing trade between the two countries,” Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said.