Pakistan, Sri Lanka to ink civil nuclear deal next month

ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka will ink civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Pakistan next month as the new president Maithripala Sirisena will visit Pakistan in the last week of March.
The details … would be worked out in due process before the visit takes place. Highly-placed diplomatic sources told The News Friday that Islamabad had received the schedule proposed by Colombo for the visit of their president to Pakistan and President Sirisena could be here on 31st of March.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was among the first foreign dignitaries who made a phone call to President Maithripala Sirisena on his historic victory in polls last month. The prime minister also invited the president to visit Pakistan which was accepted. Since then the two foreign offices are engaged in making arrangements for the agreed visit.
The Sri Lankan president also plans to proceed to China soon after visiting Pakistan as he has already visited New Delhi where he signed an agreement with the Indian government for civil nuclear cooperation.
Interestingly, Sri Lanka had to sign a deal for nuclear cooperation with Pakistan for civilian purposes under the umbrella of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the last quarter of the last year and for the purpose the then Sri Lankan president had planned to visit Pakistan but unfortunately Islamabad was stranded by the sit-in and the visit couldn’t take place.
Sri Lankan high commissioner for Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, who was commander of Sri Lankan air-force before assuming the diplomatic assignment in Pakistan, had confirmed the plan to visit Pakistan by his former president but hat couldn’t materialized.
He has also hinted at signing a deal with Pakistan for civilian nuclear cooperation. Diplomatic sources say Sri Lanka is maintaining balance in its ties with important countries of the region as the president would be visiting important regional capitals one after other during the year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also visiting Sri Lanka next month, but no schedule has yet been confirmed by the either sides.
Sri Lanka is keen to initiate its nuclear programme and it is eying the Chinese reactors for the purpose. Interestingly, India and Sri Lanka have seen an uneasy relationship in recent few years due to Indians clandestine interference in the domestic affairs of Sri Lanka.
New Delhi has been agitating the question of human rights violations in the wake of Sri Lanka battle against terrorists and insurgents who had support from India.
Sources reminded that Sri Lanka and Pakistan are two countries of the region who took lead in signing free trade agreement (FTA) and since then their trade is increasing.
The Sri Lankan president will be accorded a befitting reception on his arrival in Pakistan accompanied by a high level delegation.
He will be meeting President Mamnoon Hussain and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif separately while he will be having formal talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.