ri Lanka`s new high commissioner to Pakistan, retired Maj Gen Jayanath Lokuketagodage, and counsellor Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, who has been charge d`affaires for several months, held agrand reception at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad to mark Sri Lanka`s 68th Independence Day.
The event featured performances by cultural dancers, and a special Sri Lankan tea was served to the guests.
`I enjoyed the event very much,` said a foreign diplomat who had arrived in Pakistan just weeks earlier.
Defence production minister Rana Tanveer Hussain was invited to the event as the chief guest. He emphasised the cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in military and civilian fields.
`The two countries have been close since Sri Lanka`s independence,` Mr Hussain said. He said Pakistan provided assistance to Sri Lanka during a period of internal conflict and terrorism in the country, which had now ended successfully.
He also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, such as under the auspices of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). Pakistan will host the Saarc Summit in Islamabad later this year.
`I believe Pakistan can draw lessons from Sri Lanka`s achievements in education and other social sectors,` a European diplomat said.
