Sri Lanka ready to hold Champions Trophy

With the ICC finding it tough to convince apprehensive cricketers on touring Pakistan for next month's Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka today said it was ready to hold the tournament even at a short notice.

"We are ready to hold the Champions Trophy as we are the alternate venue for the tournament," Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Duleep Mendis said.

"We are in a position to hold the Champions Trophy as Sri Lankais the alternative venue for the ICC event," he added.

SLC officials feel that all the grounds are in good condition as the Indian cricket tour is currently on in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, a meeting took place on Wednesday at the ICC's offices in Dubai to discuss the preparations for the Champions Trophy The event, which is scheduled from September 11 to 28, is facing an uncertain future after Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, raised concerns over touring Pakistan due to the security situation.

This is despite the ICC taking a decision on July 24 to hold the championship in Pakistan after getting assurance offull security to the players.

Yesterday's meeting at Dubai discussed feedback from task team briefings with stakeholders from England, Australia and New Zealand.

Extracted from,
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf

Defence deal offered to Lanka

Pakistan, a key supplier of small arms to Sri Lanka, has proposed a defence pact to boost military cooperation between the two countries, Pakistani officials said Friday.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the offer to his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollegama on the sidelines of a South Asian meeting in Colombo, the officials said. “A (draft) defence cooperation agreement has been given to Sri Lanka,” said a senior Pakistani official who did not wish to be named.

India has been uneasy about the growing military clout of its arch-rival Pakistan in Sri Lanka, which New Delhi regards as being within its sphere of geo-political influence.

Islamabad is already an important supplier of small arms and ammunition to Sri Lankan security forces, who are battling separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, and Pakistan is also training a large number of Sri Lankan military personnel.

Indian diplomats have privately raised concerns about closer defence ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which also buys military hardware from China and Israel as well as from former Soviet Union states.

“We want Sri Lanka to quickly move on that (the draft agreement),” the Pakistan diplomatic official said, adding the pact was intended to bring the two sides closer. There was no immediate comment from Sri Lankan authorities on the Pakistani proposal. Details of the defence pact offer were not immediately available.

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http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online

SAARC leaders to meet on August 2

Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee are set to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation on Thursday (today).

The two-day ministers meeting is commencing from today's morning at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. According to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh had arrived here on Wednesday.

Pranab Mukherjee was holding a series of bilateral meetings with other ministers including an important interaction with Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a diplomat said. However, he refused to divulge the agenda for the talks between Qureshi and Mukherjee.

A Pakistani diplomat also confirmed that Qureshi, who has a detail meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, is scheduled to meet with the Indian minister today at the Conference Hall. In his arrival statement, Qureshi said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka have traditionally enjoyed close friendly relations.

The relations between the two were based on mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's state, he said.

PM to attend SAARC summit in Colombo: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani will leave for Colombo on August 2, after his US tour where he will participate in the 15th South Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit.

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http://thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=175295&catid=17

Sri Lanka Assumes SAARC Chair

Sri Lanka assumed the presidency of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), made up of eight countries, which are preparing projects for the 15th Regional Summit to be held from August 2-3.

The 25th session of that panel discussed the agenda of the important event that will gather Head of States from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Falkland Islands, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, which entered as full member.

It was also announced that they finished an agreement that was ready to be signed, devoted to establish the Developmemnt Fund of SAARC, which will allocate resources for this economic, social, and infrastructural phenomenon of the organization member countries.

The eight heads of States and Governments will arrive in Sri Lanka Thursday and Friday, under an unprecedented security mechanism in Colombo.

The Summit will be attended by Prime Ministers from Bhutan, Jigme Thinley, India and Pakistan Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Presidentes of the Falklands, Afghanistan and the host country, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Hamid Karzai, and Mahinda Rajapaksa, respectively.

Top level delegations from China, the European Union, Iran, Mauricio, Japan, South Korea and the United States will participate as observers.

Extracted from,
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?

Sri Lanka plans foolproof security for SAARC summit

The Tamil Tigers may have announced a unilateral 10-day truce but the Sri Lankan government is leaving nothing to chance for the upcoming SAARC summit. It has deployed 19,000 additional security personnel to provide foolproof protection for the visiting leaders.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) truce between July 26 and Aug 4 was rejected by the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as "a trap".

The 15th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) starts at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall here Aug 2. It will be attended by leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

All these leaders will bring their own personnel to personally look after their security but media reports in Colombo and India indicate that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will come with scores of elite Black Cats. India is also sending helicopters and bulletproof cars.

Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Sri Lankan police and security forces would be in charge of the security cover for the summit.

"About 19,000 additional troops, including police personnel, will be deployed for the summit. It is a well coordinated security plan to ensure the best security cover for the summit," Nanayakkara told IANS.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?

We are comfortable playing in Pakistan: Ranatunga

Mumbai: Sri Lanka Cricket Board chief Arjuna Ranatunga gave Pakistan a thumbs up ahead of the important International Cricket Council's meeting at the week-end to discuss security concerns for the Champions Trophy to be held there in September.

"We have no problem in playing in Pakistan or India. Pakistan hosted six teams very well recently at the Asia Cup and I was there for the final. It was very well organised," said the 1996 World Cup-winning ex-Sri Lanka Test and ODI captain at a media conference on Thursday.

"So far the championship is in Pakistan and we have been told we are in the standby position," he added.

Ranatunga was also crystal clear in his views about Twenty20 cricket by saying they were good money spinners and should be used in protecting the sanctity and pre-eminence of Test cricket.

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http://sports.in.msn.com/cricket/stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1572235

High level Pakistan trade delegation leaves for Colombo

A high level Pak trade delegation led by President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Tariq Sayeed left for Colombo Wednesday to participate in chambers competition to be held on June 27.

Deputy leader of the delegation VP SAARC CCI, Pakistan chapter,Iftikhar Ali Malik told this evening that it is great honour for Pakistan that Tariq Sayeed,a Pakistani business leader and SCCI Chief have especially been invited to inaugurate the chambers competition, a prestigious event organised by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Sri Lanka at Colombo on Friday (June 27).

Sri Lanka attached great important to private sector of Pakistan in the region and signed free trade agreement with Pakistan on August 01,2002 followed by singing of the protocol on Feb 09,2005 and full implementation of the free trade agreement on June 12,2005.

Another member of the delegation Shahzad Ali Malik,Chief Executive Guard Rice said that Pakistan has granted tariff rate quota (TRO) arrangements to Sri Lanka for export of 10,000 MT tea,1,200 MT betel leaves and 3 million pieces garments every financial year (July-June) while Sri Lanka has granted TRO arrangements to Pakistan for export of 6,000 MT Basmati Rice and 1,000 MT Potatoes for every calender year .

However,import of potatoes is permitted only during the off-season period in Sri Lanka.

The pak delegation will return home on July 29.

Extracted from,
http://www.daily.pk/business/businessnews/55-businessnews

Sri Lankan delegation visits Board of Investment

A Twelve-member Sri Lanakan delegation along with V S Sidath Kumar the Consul General (CG) of Sri Lanka in Pakistan led by SPS Ranatunga Chief Operating Officer, Chemical Industries (Colombo) Ltd visited the Investment Division and Board of Investment (BoI) Karachi here on Friday.

During the visit the delegation shown keen interest in various areas such as writing instruments, diary and agriculture products. They also took interest in rice, sugar, yeast, salt, fruits and vegetables sectors. The areas of herbal products and agriculture were also given importance.

The delegation discussed at length about travel, tourism and consultancy as well as bakery products, confectionery, black pepper, betel leaves, betel nuts, management of container terminals, hotels, tyres, tubes for bicycles, rubber tiles and tea.

Mehboob Haq, Junior Investment Advisor, of Board of Invest ment (BoI); Nasreen Ali, Director BoI; Karthik Ramachandran, Commercial Manager, Jayes Trading Company, Sri Lanka; Tariq Jan Allawala, Partner, Jan Textile Mills, SITE, Karachi and Abdul Rauf Tabani, Director, Tabani Corporation Pvt, Ltd, Karachi were attended the meeting.

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http://www.daily.pk/business/business/

Pak, Lanka trade to be supplemented by FTA

The bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be supplemented under FTA between the two countries which have a great potential.

It was stated by Muhammad Farooq Dadabhoy Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a meeting with the Sri-Lanka Trade Delegation at Federation House here, says FPCCI release on Thursday.

Mr. Dadabhoy further stated that there will be a win- win situation for both the countries under FTA .

The bilateral trade and economic relations could be increased manifold. Presently the trade volume is in favour of Pakistan which is likely to be little balanced through FTA .

He stated that under SAFTA and particularly FTA between the two countries of SAARC region will not only promote bilateral trade but also contribute in promotion of intra-regional trade.

Vice President FPCCI while briefing the trade delegation about the activities of FPCCI suggested for aggressive marketing of Sri-Lankan commodities in Pakistan particularly tea , service sector, tourism and education.

Read more,
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2008/05/30/business2.htm

Pakistan back in Commonwealth; appreciates Sri Lanka's support

Pakistan has been re-admitted to the Councils of the Commonwealth with immediate effect, a decision following Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama's call at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in London yesterday, when he made the opening statement and strongly urged the nine member body to immediately lift Pakistan's suspension.

The Minister stated that following the full restoration of democracy in the country, Pakistan has complied with all conditions and requirements set down by the CMAG, and emphasised that the issue should no longer remain on the CMAG agenda. The CMAG unanimously adopted the Foreign Minister's proposal.

Sri Lanka, spearheaded by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had earlier opposed vigorously the decision to suspend Pakistan from Commonwealth in London and Kampala last November.

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?

Iran-Sri Lanka strategic relations

Common borders, faith and culture are enabling factors that facilitate inter-state ties. These are, however, neither necessary nor sufficient elements. Relations between a Muslim Pakistan and a communist China, a multi-ethnic Sri Lanka and a Muslim Iran, a Hindu India and a Christian Russia underscore this point. Two factors that determine the potential and progress of inter-state relations are ‘compulsions’ and ‘conditions’. Palpability of situation, emanating from mutual distrust and induction of weapons of mass destruction has possibly made this region the most tension-ridden and insecure. These causes continue to haunt professors of peace the world over.

In recent days, exchange of high level delegation between Iran and Sri Lanka has opened a new door of scepticism for India. In response to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tour to Iran in November last year, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka. It is not a customary development insofar as India is concerned. Indian think tanks have started throwing full venom against the emerging relations between these two states.

Sri Lanka is a centuries-old Indian Ocean state, which has retained its entity and enjoyed sovereignty in various forms through the years of its existence as a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual plural society. Of late, it caught up in a quagmire of internal ethnic strife that has hitherto claimed innumerable precious lives, weakened its ideological composition and built quite a bad image across the globe.

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http://thepost.com.pk/OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=158772&catid=11

No Pakistani Change in helping against LTTE

Despite recent changes in the Pakistani government following elections there will be no changes of policy in the country’s attitude towards Sri Lanka’s problem of terrorism said Pakistani President Pervez Musharaf.

He asserted to his Sri Lankan counterpart President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sanya in Hainang island that Pakistan will stand by its South Asian friend, Sri Lanka in its struggle to eradicate terrorism.
Pervez told Rajapaksa, “There will be absolutely no change in our attitude towards Sri Lanka.”

President Rajapaks is in China for the second time in 14 months at the invitation of the Chinese President Hu Jintao to participate in the Boao Forum to which the Pakistani President also came to participate.
The new Pakistani Foreign Minister Sha Mahmud and and Defense Minister Ahamad Mukthar joined the Pakistani President in his discussions with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Pakistan President during the course of the discussions said there is an immediate need to expand the scope of the Free Trade Agreement between both countries. The two countries have doubled their trade within one year since the inception of the trade agreement.

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http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=15115

Lankan envoy announces visa free entry for Pak traders

Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr WB Dorakumbure, Sri Lankan High Commission Islamabad's Consul General Sidath Kumar and Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Council Chairman Rehmat Ullah Javaid visited some leading industrial units in Sambrial, Uggoki and Sialkot city, amid tight security.

Addressing a meeting of Sialkot business community held at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here Tuesday, they witnessed craftsmanship of Sialkot-based artisans and hailed the their culture.

Dorakumbure said both Sri Lanka and Pakistan had been enjoying good trade relationship, but the time was ripe for further strengthening the mutual and bilateral trade ties.

Sri Lankan High Commission Islamabad's Consul General Sidath Kumar, Chairman Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Council Karachi Rehmat Ullah Javaid, Chairman Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA) Muhammad Akhtar and SCCI President Dr Khurram Anwar Khawaja were also present on this occasion.

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http://thepost.com.pk/CorpNews.aspx?dtlid=154383&catid=8

Sri Lanka's SOS to Pakistan for urgent arms supplies

Faced with stiff resistance from Tamil Tiger guerrillas, Sri Lanka has ordered emergency military supplies from Pakistan, according to official sources here.

In a development noted with some concern by the Indian establishment, the Sri Lanka Army has sought 150,000 rounds of 60 mm mortar ammunition and as many hand grenades for immediate delivery, the sources said.

Sri Lanka has also requested $25 million worth of 81 mm, 120 mm and 130 mm mortar ammunition to be delivered within a month, the sources told IANS.

General Sarath Fonseka, the Sri Lankan army chief who spent six days in India last month, has conveyed the requirements to his Pakistani counterpart, General Ashraf Pervez Kayani, said the sources.

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http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080402/108257.htm

Pak, Sri Lanka to boost gem industry

The governments of Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Pakistan gem industry.

Pakistan High commission in Sri Lanka with the co-ordination of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Recourse of Pakistan and Ministry of Enterprises Development and Investment Promotion of Sri Lanka organised a preliminary study visit of the Pakistan gem industry in 2007, an official announcement said.

Extracted from,
http://thepost.com.pk/BizNews.aspx?dtlid=150412&catid=7

India show brotherly love to Sri Lanka

Living up to their status of the regional big brothers, the Indian cricket board has always stood by their counterparts in Sri Lanka. This time, it promises to be no different.

The mandarins at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are already looking at options to help the Lankan board following the request of Arjuna Ranatunga, currently at the helm of Lankan cricket. "There is a possibility of hosting some off-shore matches between us, and we are trying to find out a slot when our cricketers are free," said Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary.

Speaking to Gulf News, Shah said they would work out a solution soon because of the "brotherly relation" that the boards of two countries enjoy. Incidentally, the two countries, alongwith Pakistan and Bangladesh, will host the third World Cup in the sub-continent in 2011.

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http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Cricket/10188349.html

Sri Lanka desires enhanced trade with Pakistan: Rohitha Bogollagama

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Thursday said his country wants to expand bilateral trade with Pakistan from the existing $ 385 million to $ one billion.

Addressing a press conference here this evening, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister said during his talks with the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan the two sides expressed the desire to forge a comprehensive economic partnership for mutual benefit.

He said in this backdrop, the two countries discussed how to make the Joint Economic Commission and the Joint Council more effective to give boost to trade and economic cooperation.

He said the two countries are discussing issuance of multiple visa for business travels to facilitate businessmen of the two countries to have more interaction.

Rohitha Bogollagama said there is great potential for cooperation in shipping and Sri Lanka was interested in utilization of Pakistani tankers for transportation of crude oil from the Middle East.

He said Sri Lanka was shortly announcing blocks for oil exploration and wants to utilize the Pakistani expertise for this purpose.

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http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_conten

Damaged Cable Cuts Internet Access to Middle East, Part of Asia

Much of the Middle East and part of Asia have lost Internet access due to damage to an undersea cable between Sicily and Egypt, reports The Guardian.

The story says most countries in the Middle East have completely lost access, while authorities in Mumbai say India has only about half its normal bandwidth.

A spokesman for the cable’s owner Flag Telecom, told The Register the anchor of a ship off the coast of Egypt cut the cable in multiple places and it could take 12 to 15 days to fix them all. That story puts Sri Lanka and Pakistan among the affected countries.

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http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/hdw/?p=1563

SLC offers to host Asia Cup

Sri Lanka has approached Pakistan with an offer to host the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament as violence continues to wrack the country, the island's cricket chief said today.

The six-nation limited-overs tournament is scheduled to be played in Pakistan in June, but instability following last month's murder of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has put sporting fixtures under threat.

“We have written and asked Pakistan if we can host the Asia Cup,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief Arjuna Ranatunga said on the sidelines of a news conference to promote tourism.
“It's a sensitive issue, but we will understand if Pakistan refuse us,” said Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup.

Defending champions Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are due to take part in the tournament, the continent's premier One-Day International event.

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http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=5&theme=&u

India slashes customs duties on 4800 items from SAARC

India has scrapped import duty on more than 4,800 items from four neighbouring countries and reduced customs tariff on these products from Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of efforts to boost trade in South Asia.

"The import duty has been reduced from 16-40 per cent to zero level on items like meat, fish, milk, dairy products, and dry fruits from the neighbouring least developing countries (LDCs) - Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives," a Finance Ministry official said.

However, the duty rates on these items have been reduced to 12-20 per cent on goods imported from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The new rates come into effect from January 1.

All pharmaceutical products and drugs can now be imported at 10 per cent duty from LDCs, as against 12.5 per cent duty earlier. However, tariff on drugs has not been cut in case of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a Finance Ministry notification said.

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http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14584102