Sri Lanka and Kenya sign eight bilateral deals

Tuesday, 17 December 2013 02:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka and Kenya on Saturday signed eight bilateral agreements to boost a range of sectors. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who made a four-day State visit to the Republic of Kenya, and President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the signing ceremony at the State House in Nairobi. Before the signing ceremony, the two leaders held bilateral talks on further strengthening ties between the two nations and enhancing cooperation in a number of sectors, including economic, trade, investment, education and technology.

The memorandums of understanding signed cover the following areas: Tourism; Establishment of a Joint Commission; Bilateral Trade; Economic, Commercial and Technical Corporation; Cultural Co-operation; Co-operation in the field of sports; Visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports; and Bilateral consultation. President Rajapaksa speaking at the State banquet hosted by the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyata at the State House in Nairobi on Friday (13) stated that he was the first-ever Head of State to visit Kenya from Sri Lanka, and that Kenya and Sri Lanka were both home to two great ancient civilisations, dating back many millennia. “Sri Lanka has now entered an era of peace, having overcome the threat of terrorism, which plagued the country for over three decades,” said the President. “We are also bound by historical experiences, sharing common platforms in the Non-Aligned movement and as members of the Commonwealth.” President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa were guests at the 50th Independence Day celebrations held on 12 December at the Moi International Sports Complex (MISC) in Kasarani on the outskirts of Nairobi. Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Civil Aviation Geethanjana Gunawardena, Chief Minister of the Uva Province Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs Sajin De Vass Gunawardena and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga accompanied the President in this visit.