President, PM send ‘special letter’ with FM Qureshi for newly-elected Sri Lankan counterparts

• Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka.
• "There is a lot to learn from each other. We have supported each other bilaterally and as well as on multilateral forums," Qureshi said.

Maintaining that Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always enjoyed excellent relations, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during his official visit to the state, has said that both the countries have a lot to learn from each other.

The FM arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday and was received by Ambassador P Selvaraj, Additional Secretary Bilateral Affairs (East), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka. Speaking to the media on his arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, the FM said that he is on a special visit to Sri Lanka and is carrying a letter from Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi for the newly elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and newly appointed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"We have known both of them [Sri Lankan president and PM] well. They have been friends of Pakistan," Qureshi said. He added that when the present Sri Lankan PM was president before, the relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka went from strength to strength and both countries have always enjoyed excellent relations.

"There is a lot to learn from each other. We have supported each other bilaterally and as well as on multilateral forums," Qureshi said.

Later, the FM met his counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and briefed him about the situation and human rights crisis in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

FM also briefed his Sri Lankan counterpart on the dire situation & human rights crisis in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He said that the 100 day plus lockdown remained a cause of serious concern for the international community. #fminsrilanka pic.twitter.com/BttaHXjZDj

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) December 2, 2019