Musharraf arrives in Colombo for talks

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Colombo by a special aircraft from Dhaka to a warm welcome this evening for an overnight off...

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Colombo by a special aircraft from Dhaka to a warm welcome this evening for an overnight official visit aimed at bolstering bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, including trade relations and military cooperation.

Musharraf, accompanied his wife, Sehba Musharraf, was received at the airport by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his senior Cabinet colleagues.

Musharraf inspected a guard of honour by the Army after a 21-gun salute. Wickremesinghe will pay a courtesy call on the visiting President later this evening, while President Chandrika Kumaratunga will host a state banquet after they hold discussions at the President’s house here.

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Official talks, followed by signing of a framework agreement towards a free trade pact between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are due to be held tomorrow at ‘temple trees’, the Prime Minister’s official residence here. He is scheduled to leave Colombo tomorrow afternoon.

Musharraf leads a 17-member delegation that includes Commerce Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood, Information Minister Nisar A Memon, Environment and Local Development Minister Shahida Jamil and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inam-ul-Haque.

The two sides have already held discussions on bilateral trade, and the framework agreement is ready for signing, according to officials.

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