Dec 21, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Afghanistan has agreed on measures to strengthen economic ties following a visit by foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul to Colombo which was the first such bi-lateral visit. The visiting Afghan foreign minister had met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa and defence and urban development ministry secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
A joint communiqué issued following the visit said Afghanistan will send a delegation representing its commerce ministry and Chamber of Commerce of Afghanistan to explore trade opportunities.
Afghanistan requested the services of Sri Lankan expertise in processing gemstones
Sri Lanka had proposed a bilateral agreement for providing professional and skilled labour to Afghanistan for its re-building including restoring artifacts.
Sri Lanka had responded to a request to provide more placements in its universities in the disciplines of medicine, engineering, agriculture and technology on a fee levying basis and two places on a gratis basis at the Kotelawala Defence University.
Afghanistan had also requested assistance in restoring a printing press of the ministry of education which was used t