Palestinian FM signs technical cooperation agreement with Sri Lanka

Friday October 10, 2008 20:20 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC & Agenices

Palestine and Sri Lanka inked an agreement on Technical Co-operation and Practical Training at the Presidential Secretariat when the visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held bilateral discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

President Abbas received by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa (Photo: Dinoka Lyanawate)

The two Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and Palestine, Rohitha Bogollagama and Dr. Riyad al-Malki sign the agreement on behalf of their respective governments.

President Abbas thanked the Sri Lankan President for establishing diplomatic links with the Palestinian authority and extended an invitation for President Rajapaksa to visit Palestine.

Delivering a short address at the signing of the bilateral 'Framework Agreement for Technical Capacity Building' President Abbas said he was delighted to visit Sri Lanka at a time when Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was President of the country.

"The significance of my visit is that I am visiting Sri Lanka as the second leader of Palestine to pay an official visit to this country, after our late beloved leader Yasser Arafat," he said.

President Abbas and some PA ministers are on a tour in the south east of Asia meeting officials there to establish cooperation. Prior to visiting Sri Lanka, President Abbas and the accompanying delegation visited India who pledged to provide financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.

international | diplomacy | news report news at imemc dot org