Islamabad, July 05: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is due to visit Sri Lanka later this month as part of a mission to boost bilateral trade, diplomats here said today.
Musharraf will travel to Sri Lanka on July 31 on his return from a three-day visit to Bangladesh, diplomats said, adding that the Pakistani leader was expected to spend three days in the island republic. Diplomats said a proposed free trade agreement between the two countries will figure in talks President Musharraf will have with his Sri Lankan counterpart Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's foreign minister Tyronne Fernan who will visit Pakistan on July 15, making it his first official tour here since his United National Party (UNP) won parliamentary elections in December. Fernando will be followed by trade minister Ravi Karunanayake who leads a business delegation to Pakistan's commercial capital of Karachi on July 25. The trade minister is also due here two days later.
Pakistan is also sending two ministers to Sri Lanka ahead of Musharraf's visit.
Trade, commerce and industries minister Abdul Razak Dawood will travel to Colombo next week while interior minister Moinuddin Haider is set to visit Sri Lanka just before President Musharraf visits Colombo. Both countries are members of SAARC, which also groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives and Nepal.
Bureau Report