Qatari Emir concludes Sri Lanka visit

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar left here this morning on conclusion of a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka. He was seen off at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne and a number of high-ranking officials. During the visit, the Qatari Emir held official talks yesterday with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing cooperation in various fields, in addition to reviewing the latest developments on the regional and international arenas. Following the talks, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Sri Lankan President held a bilateral meeting. During the visit, the two countries signed several cooperation accords in economic, trade, technical, cultural, legal and tourism spheres. The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the formation of a high-level joint committee between the two countries and a number of cooperation MoUs in the fields of general education, higher education and scientific research as well as investment in the sphere of civil aviation.