Rajapaksa flies in April 18

Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are expected to sign several deals to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, tourism, connectivity and shipping during the Sri Lankan president's four-day visit here from April 18.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of President Zillur Rahman.
Both the countries have almost finalised the programme schedule of the visit and are now fine-tuning the agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed, said foreign ministry officials.
They said drafts of agreements and MoUs have been exchanged in light of the recently held foreign secretary-level consultation in Dhaka in January.
Signing of the deals, mostly related to promotion of trade and investment, will usher in a new chapter in the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said the ministry sources.
The deals will be made to promote export and avoid double taxation. MoUs on cultural, educational and scientific exchange programme and agricultural research will be signed.
Sri Lanka sought access to higher education in Bangladesh. Some 500 students of that country are now studying in private medical colleges here. Bangladesh agreed to make room for more students in different educational institutions.
Both the sides agreed to take a fresh look at the existing Shipping Services Agreement signed in 1979 to make it more suitable for present day needs, officials said.
Bangladesh offered to export pharmaceuticals, jute and jute-made goods, ceramics and tea packaging to Sri Lanka, and this matter will prominently figure during the visit.
In response to Bangladesh's request, the Sri Lankan government had agreed to provide training to Bangladeshi nurses in that country, but the health ministry failed to formulate a draft MoU in this regard in last three months.