President Maithripala Sirisena gives Sri Lanka's thumbs up for CPEC in Pakistan: Report

Attending Pakistan's Republic Day celebrations on Friday, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena said his country was pleased with the progress shown by Pakistan by utilising the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Upon landing in the country, Sirisena first met Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair at the Karachi airport and it is here that he reportedly said Pakistan's progress courtesy CPEC is appreciable. Local media reports attributed the statement to an official statement issued by the Governor House. According to it, Sirisena said CPEC is a promising sign for Pakistan's economic progress. He also reportedly thanked the country for being a key ally of Sri Lanka and for the close ties shared by the two.

On a three-day visit to Pakistan, Sirisena also called on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for a one-on-one meeting which was followed by delegation level talks. According to an official statement, issues of mutual importance were discussed during the meeting and the two sides expressed hope that the bilateral ties will continue to grow in the future.The two sides also agreed to diversify and deepen the bilateral relations, it said. "The Sri Lankan President extended support for the holding of SAARC Summit in Pakistan," the statement said.