Afghan President to arrive on Wednesday

Monday, 3 March 2014 01:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (March 5) for a three-day official visit. Afghan President was expected to visit Sri Lanka 23rd to 25th February 2014 but postponed his scheduled official visit due to the attack on two Afghan National Army posts on Ghaziabad highway in Kunar province that killed 19 soldiers. Karzai’s visit to Colombo is aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries as both countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

During his visit the Afghan President is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He will also meet several ministers and other top government officials. President Karzai will also declare open the Afghan Embassy in Colombo that is scheduled to be established in Sri Lanka for the first time, the External Affairs Ministry said. The government is considering to send Sri Lankan workers to Afghanistan with the view to creating more employment opportunities for Sri Lankans and increasing foreign exchange earnings to the country. During the visit, Karzai is scheduled to sign an agreement on providing employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Afghanistan. He is also scheduled to sign agreements covering Educational and Sports Sectors. Another agreement to be signed will cover training of Afghan nurses in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s cabinet recently approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dilan Perera to enter into an agreement with Afghanistan on the employment of Sri Lankan manpower in that country.