MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO : On an invitation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arab, Farhan Al Saud, Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs M. U. M. Ali Sabry left for Saudi Arabia on an official visit on Sunday, Jan.22.
Minister Sabry was accompanied by K Cader Masthan , state minister for rural economy and U.LM.Jauhar, Additional Secretary/Consular Affairs and Political Affairs (Middle East and Africa) at the foreign ministry in Colombo.
The delegation which will be arriving in Madinah on Sunday evening will meet the Madinah Governor Prince Faisal Bin Salman and visit the Prophet’s Mosque before performing an Umrah in the holy city of Makkah.
On Monday, Sabry will also meet with the senior officials of the Islamic Development Bank, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Governors of Makkah and Madinah on Monday and Tuesday.
.On Wednesday, Sabry is slated to meet his counterpart in Riyadh and hold subsequent meetings with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC and other senior officials of the Saudi government.
Speaking to the Daily News pior to his departure ,Minister Sabry said that the talks with the Saudi foreign minister will focus on bilateral trade and investment and to accelerate the process of signing the double taxation agreement between the two countries.
During his stay in the Kingdom,the delegation will be accompanied by Sri Lankan Ambassador in Riyadh, Pakeer Mohideen Amza and Falah Moulana, Sri Lankan consul general in Jeddah
