Pakistan-Lanka ties further cemented

SRI LANKA'S warm, fraternal ties with Pakistan would be further strengthened when President Mahinda Rajapakse sets foot on Pakistani soil today on his first state visit to that country in the capacity of Lanka's Head of State and Government.

Today, Pakistan ranks as one of Lanka's closest friends in the region, thanks to our policy of non-alignment and Pakistan has time and again proved a friend-in-need and lived up to this country's standards of true friendship.

We take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation of Pakistan's insightful foreign policy.

Friendship towards all and enmity towards none. This maxim sums up the essence of non-alignment and President Rajapakse's current visit to Pakistan amounts to a practical demonstration of Sri Lanka's adherence to the prime tenets of the doctrine of non-alignment.

Considering that this is an era of economic liberalisation and predominantly region-based trading, President Rajapakse's visit to Pakistan could not have been timelier.

Just three months ago the President paid his first state visit as Lanka's Head-of-State to India and there is no doubt that both, our bilateral ties with India and Pakistan as well as SAARC solidarity, would gain immensely by these visits which should be viewed as bridge-strengthening exercises among SAARC neighbours.

With India and Pakistan steadily mending fences and economic issues figuring prominently in international relations, President Rajapakse's state visits to both countries could help in the process of overcoming obstacles to greater regional camaraderie which in turn could step-up the tempo of regional economic solidarity, finally resulting in the much-cherished South Asia Free Trade Area.

Given that economics drives politics, it is in the fitness of things that political leaders of the South Asian region should seek ways and means of advancing SAARC economic solidarity and we are glad that President Rajapakse is taking diplomatic initiatives in this direction.

Seen from this perspective, President Rajapakse's decision to speak to Pakistan's business community is most timely and advisable.

Barrier-free economic interaction among SAARC states is the principle underlying the South Asia Free Trade Area concept and there is no doubt that enhanced investments by Pakistani businessmen in Sri Lanka would help to some degree in preparing a conducive climate for the advancement of SAFTA.

It should be also remembered that Pakistan came to our aid at the height of the December 2004 tsunami tragedy.

Pakistan's ready humanitarian and material assistance helped in further strengthening our fraternal ties with her, besides assisting in the task of bringing relief to our stricken people. It is up to Sri Lanka to build on these ties and President Rajapakse's visit would, no doubt, help in this direction.

The agreements which are to be signed by the President with Pakistan in fields such as education, culture and tourism, would certainly make Pakistan-Lanka relations a many-splendoured thing.