Kumaratunga thanks Musharraf

The President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga, has praised the Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf, who is in Sri Lanka for a two-day visit to promote bilateral trade.

Mrs Kumaratunga thanked General Musharraf for Pakistan's support in fighting separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

She also praised Pakistan's president for his support of the American-led coalition to fight the Taleban in Afghanistan.

Pakistan is one of Sri Lanka's main suppliers of weapons. General Musharraf is expected to sign a free trade agreement that should increase bi-lateral trade by around a half, to two hundred million dollars a year.

The deal will boost Sri Lankan tea, gems, spices, fruit and textile exports to Pakistan, which in turn hopes to expand its electronics, food and vehicle market.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service