President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has met with the Sri Lankan President, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa. The meeting was held this afternoon, at the Official residence of the Sri Lankan President.
During the meeting, President Yameen and President Rajapaksa discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries in various areas of development. In this regard, the two Presidents underscored the importance of early implementation of the decisions of the Sri Lanka-Maldives Joint Commission, which was held recently.
Referring to the 18th SAARC summit to be held in Kathmandu in November, President Yameen and President Rajapaksa exchanged views on further strengthening the SAARC mechanism. The Presidents also discussed the need to make SAARC a more relevant and responsive organization for the people of South Asia.
President Rajapaksa expressed his gratitude to President Yameen for accepting his invitation to attend the 8th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) as the Guest of Honor. Continuing on, he applauded the Government for it’s successful initiatives to transform the Maldives’ economy. The Sri Lankan President also reassured President Yameen of Sri Lanka’s willingness to assist the Maldives in every way.
President Yameen congratulated the Sri Lankan President and the Government for hosting the important conference of ICAPP. The President further commended the Sri Lankan Government on the recent launch of key development projects, which would greatly benefit the people of Sri Lanka.
The meeting was attended by the Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary, Mr. G.L. Peiris and the Director General of the Ministry of External Affairs of Sri Lanka, Mr. Dharshana M. Perera.
President Yameen was accompanied by Minister at the President’s Office, Hon. Mohamed Hussain Shareef, High Commissioner of Maldives to Sri Lanka, Hon. Zahiya Zareer and the Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Dr. Hussain Niyaz.
After the meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, President Yameen visited the Sosun Villa Recreation and Cultural Centre, where he met with the Maldivian Community.
