The Sri Lankan government said Tuesday that it will enhance cooperation with Iran in the political, economic, trade, cultural, educational, scientific and technological fields.
Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement at the conclusion of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two-day state visit that Ahmadinejad and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa reaffirmed the close ties that exist between the two sides.
"The two presidents agreed to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation, in a spirit of mutual goodwill and friendship. They also agreed to continue regular high-level exchanges between the two countries," said the statement.
The two sides decided to expand economic co-operation and encourage their private sectors to invest in each other.
The two countries signed five agreements on Monday night, including the Financial Assistance for the Expansion of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery and the Uma Oya project, Iran's Development Assistance to Sri Lanka and the Establishment of Political Consultation Mechanism.
Ahmadinejad participated in the Iranian funded expansion project for the Sapugaskanda refinery near Colombo Tuesday morning which will make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in aviation fuel and bitumen.
The 750-million-U.S.-dollar project envisages increasing the daily output capacity of 50,000 barrels to more than 100,000 barrels of refined oil.
However, the Iranian president did not attend the inauguration ceremony of the 450-million-dollar Uma Oya irrigation project in Wellawaya in central Sri Lanka due to bad weather.
The two projects were funded by Iran to the tune of over 1.9 billion dollars, which was pledged during Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's state visit to Iran in November last year.
Ahmadinejad concluded his Sri Lankan leg of South Asia tour Tuesday afternoon and left for India.
Source:Xinhua
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