President holds talks with Pakistani, Afghan leaders

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday participated in the opening ceremony and sessions of the World Economic Forum near the Dead Sea in Jordan.

The President met Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Amman yesterday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral and trade links. Investment opportunities in both countries were also discussed. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie also participated.

President Rajapaksa also held talks with Afghan President Hameed Karzai.

Holding discussions with top Jordanian Government officials to consolidate existing bilateral relations between the two countries and attending to matters of interest of the considerable Sri Lankan expatriate worker community are high on the President’s agenda on this official visit.

He is also due to lead the Lankan delegation to the Summit of the G-11 Group comprising low and medium income level countries, such as Jordan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia, Croatia, Honduras, Paraguay and Ecuador which was formed at the United Nations General Assembly sessions last year. Its current General Secretary is from Jordan.

The Group promotes mutual cooperation and knowledge among the member countries and has already achieved success by formulating its economic reforms.

It envisages to further develop the G-11 economies and ease their debt burdens and gain access to the markets of the developed world, by obtaining foreign aid instead of loans from highly industrialised countries.

They also expect to enhance education and the general heath services of the member countries. President Rajapaksa who arrived in Jordan on Thursday night received a grand welcome with full state honours, President’s Media sources said.