Colombo, April 28 (newsin.asia): China’s Defense Minister Gen.Wei Fenghe on Wednesday met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat and had “intense discussions” on strengthening bilateral ties and tourism between the two countries, a Presidential spokesman said.
Sri Lanka and China agreed to enhance defence cooperation, particularly in terms of high-level exchanges and training, informed sources told Daily Mirror. According to informed sources, Sri Lanka was appreciative of China’s cooperation.
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Before his arrival in Sri Lanka, he visited Bangladesh and met with the top political and military leaders there. He is the second top ranked official from China to visit Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic after foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi visited the island last October
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sought FDI
Gen. Wei later met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who requested China to help Sri Lanka secure foreign investment to help it develop its economy and fight poverty.
Rajapaksa said “Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, our Government has decided not to pursue country-wide lockdowns due to the impact such lockdowns have on our economy and society. I’m sure you’ll agree that there is still a lot that needs to be done for post-pandemic economic recovery. One of our main priorities in this effort is to attract investments from around the world. I look forward your support in rebuilding investor confidence in Sri Lanka.”
“Let me also congratulate you on your achievements in poverty alleviation. China has uplifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of absolute poverty. And you have accomplished this 10 year in advance of the completion of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal in poverty alleviation. This is an impressive achievement.”
“I think we can agree that it has now become very clear to the entire world that vaccines will be the only way to overcome this pandemic. On that front, on behalf of all Sri Lankans, I extend my sincere appreciation for the generous donation of 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines and Personal Protective Equipment since the outbreak of the pandemic. We look forward to China’s continued support in dealing with this crisis,” Rajapaksa said according to the Prime Minister’s media.
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