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ISLAMABAD: A 17-member delegation from the National Defense University (NDU) of Pakistan met with High Commissioner Maj. Gen. (R) Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat in Colombo as part of a visit which is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, a statement released on Tuesday read.
The group, led by Air Commodore Mustafa Anwer, is in Sri Lanka for a six-day visit and comprises senior officials from Pakistan’s Armed Forces and allied officers from Iran, Bangladesh and Nepal, who are undergoing a National Security and War Course at the NDU.
The visit is part of measures to improve bilateral cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen the collaboration between the two countries in the field of defense, an Embassy official said.
“High Commissioner underscored that relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka are based on mutual trust and the commonality of interest in maintaining peace, security and stability in the South Asian region,” excerpts from the statement read, adding that both the countries “are working together on all these foras for shared values and interests.”
During the visit, NDU delegates are expected to meet with a number of prominent personalities from Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces and civil institutions.
The NDU delegation will also visit the Lakshman Kadirgamer Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies in Colombo and the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka for an interactive session to build cooperation between the two institutions.
Both the South Asian nations have always shared friendly relations. In the past, Pakistan supplied high-tech military equipment to the Sri Lankan army for use in its civil war against the Tamil Tigers.
Additionally, trade between Sri Lanka and Pakistan stands at less than $400 million a year, with Pakistan saying in 2016 that it would re-invigorate efforts to reach a target of $1 billion “at the earliest.”