Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with his newly appointed Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena in Colombo on Monday. The two discussed bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.

During the meeting, Qureshi stated that both countries have extended support to the other on regional as well as international matters, according to Radio Pakistan.

The minister invited Gunawardena to visit Pakistan with a delegation from the Sri Lankan business community to boost bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

Qureshi also briefed Gunawardena about the human rights crisis in occupied Kashmir. Both countries agreed to continue consulting on regional peace and stability.

Taking to Twitter after the meeting, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that it was a "phenomenal day for Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations". He said that there was a "political will on both sides to take the relationship to the next level".

In another tweet posted earlier, Dr Faisal said that both countries are keen to deepen and strengthen bilateral relations.

He added that the foreign minister also handed over a letter from Imran Khan to the president of Sri Lanka inviting him to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

Qureshi arrived in Colombo late Sunday night. He began his two-day official visit of Sri Lanka on Monday.

On November 20, Imran telephoned newly elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, congratulating him on his electoral win and invited him to visit Pakistan at his ‘earliest convenience’. Reportedly, President Rajapaksa accepted the invitation.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy close and cordial ties based on mutual trust and understanding.

The bilateral relationship is broad-based and multifaceted, covering diverse fields, including political, trade, commercial, defence and people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges.

High-level visits are a regular feature of Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.