Czech President and Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka separately next year

Tuesday, 27 September 2016 00:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Czech President Milos Zeman and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek will visit Sri Lanka on two separate occasions next year, a Czech newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes reported, referring to a schedule of politicians’ foreign trips until the end of 2017.

“The main reason for the visit to Sri Lanka is the promotion of business-economic cooperation and the marking of the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations,” Irena Valentova, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying.

President Ziman has expressed his intention to visit Sri Lanka next year with a business delegation to promote economic diplomacy between the two countries when Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Priyanee Wijesekera, presented her credentials to the President last month in Prague.

At the occasion, President Ziman proposed that Sri Lanka should establish an embassy in Prague particularly as there was much interest among Czech tourists in visiting Sri Lanka, according to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

President Ziman has also assured the Sri Lankan Ambassador that the Czech Republic is favourable towards the European Union restoring the GSP+ concession to Sri Lanka. He also indicated interest in promoting cultural ties between the two countries particularly in the study of Buddhism.