Islamabad: Sri Lanka’s army chief on Wednesday met his Pakistani counterpart and thanked him for the “incessant support” to the island nation’s fight against terrorism.
Chief of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen A.W.J.C De Silva called upon the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said.
“The visiting general thanked Pakistan Army for incessant support to Sri Lankan’s fight against terrorism,” the army said in a statement.
Pakistan was a key supplier of weapons and aircraft for Sri Lanka’s military in its decades-long civil war against the LTTE that ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.
Lt Gen De Silva “expressed full confidence in Pakistan’s ability to completely overcome the menace in near future,” the statement said.
The army chief appreciated Pakistan Army’s achievements and contributions towards national and regional security.
“Both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together for enhancing regional security and continuing existing military-to-military cooperation,” the statement said.
General Bajwa also thanked his Lankan counterpart for his visit and acknowledgement of Pakistan’s active contribution in the fight against militancy.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan army chief laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada (martyrs monument).
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif pm Wednesday called for further enhancing of cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in various fields and stressed to work jointly for achieving regional peace and stability.
Talking to Commander De Silva, who called on him here at the PM House, the prime minister called for further strengthening defense related cooperation between the two countries, a statement from the PM House said.
The prime minister said Pakistan and Sri Lanka need to further expand cooperation in all areas. The Sri Lankan general thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome extended to him during his visit to Pakistan. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Defense and Lt Gen (R) Nasser Khan Janjua, National Security Advisor were also present during the meeting.
