KUWAIT, 22 May 2007 — Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse who arrived here on a state visit, was given a red carpet welcome at the Kuwait International Airport yesterday.
He was also given a guard of honor by the armed forces of the state. The roads leading to the Bayan Palace were dotted with Sri Lankan and Kuwaiti national flags to welcome the president. He was received by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
On arrival, the visiting president who is leading a 90-member delegation including 25 businessmen, 10 ministers and a media team, expressed confidence that the friendship and cooperation that existed between the two nations would continue and this visit would boost bilateral ties in various sectors.
“Arab countries are close to our hearts and Sri Lanka has remained their friend at all times,” Rajapakse said, adding that Kuwait and Sri Lanka are members of the Nonaligned Movement and share common perceptions on a wide range of important issues.
He recalled that his country supported the entry of Kuwait into the United Nations in 1963. “During the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Sri Lanka supported all UN resolutions against the invasion. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to reopen its embassy in Kuwait following the Gulf War,” Rajapakse said.
Kuwait is home to more than 100,000 Sri Lankans who remit large amounts of foreign exchange to the island, he said, pointing out that more than a million expatriates are in the Middle East and the government is concerned about their welfare.
Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said the visit was in line with the keenness of the leaderships of the two countries to boost relations and develop common interests.
The emir of Kuwait hosted a dinner banquet in honor of the visiting president yesterday in his palace.
Today, Rajapakse is slated to address Kuwaiti businessmen at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“Kuwaiti investors are welcome to explore the possibility of setting up industries particularly in the fields of agriculture and fisheries,” a spokesman from the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce told Arab News.
Bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated at $220 million. Products imported by Kuwait from Sri Lanka include tea, precious stones, jewelry and fruits, while it exports petroleum products to the island .
Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has carried out several projects in Sri Lanka such as construction of roads and building a power plant, and has constructed buildings at a university.
Kuwaiti charitable societies, including the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO), Asia Muslims Committee, and the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society, are currently engaged in social service activities in the island.
