Sri Lanka, Croatia to enhance bilateral ties

President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on the sidelines of the Group of Eleven (G-11) Meeting at the Dead Sea in Jordan last Saturday.

The two leaders agreed to further consolidate economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Croatia. They agreed that much potential exists for cooperation in the fields of port development and shipbuilding.

President Rajapaksa briefed his Croatian counterpart on the action taken by his government to safeguard the civilian population living in northern Sri Lanka from LTTE terror. He emphasised that the safety and welfare of civilians is of utmost priority to the Sri Lankan Government.

President Mesic congratulated President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the success achieved by his Government in defeating terrorism, and expressed empathy with Sri Lanka during this critical phase in its history.

They also referred to the long-standing bilateral relations existing between the two countries emanating from the friendly relations established between Sri Lanka and former Yugoslavia within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement.

They pledged their commitment to expand these historic relations into new areas of cooperation in the future.

President Rajapaksa accepted the invitation extended by President Mesic to visit Croatia at a mutually convenient time in the future.