By
Mobisher Rabbani
Kotelawla Defence University, Sri Lanka

Charles De Gaulle once said 'Nations do not have
friends, they have only interests'. Two nations
that prove this theory wrong are Pakistan and Sri
Lanka. Although they are not neighbors and are
separated by geographically larger India which
has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres yet they are
the closest of friends and true allies.

The foundation of their relationship goes back to
1948 when father of nation of Pakistan
Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Sri Lanka's first Prime
Minister D S Senanayake met and laid forth the
vision for the deepest and closest friendship
between both their nation states based on
mutual respect.

When Sri Lanka faced stiff resistance in crushing the
foreign backed and funded Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), the world was unwilling to supply it
with the kind of weapons it was looking for. Pakistan
extended immense valuable support to Sri Lanka in
its very difficult phase of national history. Pakistan
also assisted Sri Lanka in supplying High-Tech military
equipment, training and defense advisors.

Shortly after the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in
Sri Lanka, Pakistan congratulated Sri Lanka and the
Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Hussein A Bhaila of Sri
Lanka said "The government and the people of Sri
Lanka have considered Pakistan as a true friend of Sri
Lanka, which has always stood by it in times of
need."

Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of
Sri Lanka in South Asia. Sri Lanka was the first
country to sign a Free Trade Agreement with
Pakistan, which became operational from June
12, 2005. 4,000 items can be imported to
Pakistan from Sri Lanka.

Bilateral trade between the two countries was
US$400 million in early 2010, and is expected to
increase to US$2 billion by 2012. In November
2010, President Asif Ali Zardari mulled a 250
million dollar export credit line that Pakistan
would extend to Sri Lanka. Trade between the
two countries reached $500 million by the end of
2010.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy convergence of views on
almost all matters of regional and international
significance. The two countries had been closely
cooperating in multilateral forums, including South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It is
nevertheless discouraging that SAARC had not been able to
move beyond a certain point although Pakistan and Sri
Lanka have been playing a very active role in making
SAARC an effective and result-oriented organization.

MOUs have been signed between Sri Lanka and Pakistan to
co-operate on tourism and archeology which is expected to
open a new window of opportunity for both countries. 70
percent of the Sri Lankan population is Buddhist and
Pakistan has loaned Buddhist relics to Sri Lanka for
displaying at the Colombo museum.
 The
sports history of Pakistan and Sri Lanka
goes back to April 1949 when the Pakistan
national cricket team visited Sri Lanka to
play two first-class matches with their hosts.
 Till
date large number of Pakistani cricket
fans support the Sri Lanka team and vice
versa. Also during the 2009 T20 cricket world
cup finals when both teams played each
other yet both the country's fans watched
the game together united by the love of
cricket.

Both countries came forward to help and defended each other
when difficult times confronted them. When the convoy carrying
the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Bashir Wali
Mohamed on August 14, 2006 was attacked by the LTTE. The High
Commissioner escaped unhurt, but seven people (including four
Army commandoes) were killed and a further seventeen injured
in the blast. Pakistan as a token of appreciation and friendship
supported the families of the Sri Lankan army commandoes and
civilians who were killed and injured in the terrorist attack.

Similarly after a terrorist assault on the Sri Lankan cricket team's
bus on March 4, 2009 in Lahore. President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
who cut short a visit to Nepal to return home, condemned the
"cowardly terrorist attack", dispatched his Foreign Minister to
Pakistan who stated the attack would not affect ties between the
island nation. Meher Mohammad Khalil the bus driver who saved
the lives of the Sri Lankan cricket players was given a heroes
welcome when he visited Sri Lanka.
 When
Pakistan faced its worst floods in its
history in 2010, Sri Lanka sent dry rations of
rice, sugar, lentils and tea worth over Rs 3
million. Even overseas Sri Lankans living in
the Gulf State of UAE sent relief aid.
 Pakistan
also sent a consignment of aid of
blankets and tents for the flood victims in Sri
Lanka even though it was still suffering of
the aftereffects of floods in its own country.
 The
people of Sri Lanka have great
appreciation for Pakistan and its people
which I personally experienced during my
stay in Sri Lanka. For the love and friendship
I received from the Sri Lankan people I was
inspired to write my book and have this
quote from it
"If Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia is obligatory
for every Muslim then visiting Sri Lanka
should be obligatory for every Pakistani"


Sri Lanka and China accorded each other diplomatic
recognition in January 1950. In April 1952 both
countries entered into the historic Rubber-Rice
Agreement, whereby Sri Lanka supplied rubber to
China under a barter arrangement, receiving rice
from China in return. This agreement was entered
into at a time when certain countries had imposed a
ban on the supply of strategic materials, which
included rubber, to China.
Two countries established full diplomatic relations on
7th February 1957 and both countries took a number
of steps in the political, economic, trade and cultural
fields to strengthen their bilateral relations.
Relations between Sri Lanka and China were brought
to a record height during 2007, completing a milestone of 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations
between the two countries.

As the west condemned Sri Lanka, the US
withdrew all funding from the county and part of
India wants to impose economic sanctions, China
has stood by Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has expressed unwavering support for
the China’s "One China" policy. It has consistently
supported China at the UN. Both countries have
been cooperating in multilateral fora on various
bilateral and international issues. In 1996, Sri
Lanka welcomed the transfer of sovereignty of
Hong Kong to China and had representation at
the Hong Kong hand over in July 1997.

The most prominent symbol of Chinese cooperation assistance to
Sri Lanka remains the Bandaranaike Memorial International
Conference Hall (BMICH), which is an enduring monument to Sri
Lanka-China relations. China has also funded several other
projects including the Supreme Courts Complex, the Central Main
telecommunication Exchange, the Ginganga Flood Protection
Scheme, the re-development of the Lady Ridgeway Children's
Hospital, among others.

Since 2007, China has featured prominently in Sri Lanka's socio economic development efforts by funding key infrastructural
projects. These include the Norocholai (Puttalam) Power Project,
the Hambantota Port and airport, the Colombo - Katunayake
Express Way. The Performing Arts Theatre is another key project
that has commenced in Sri Lanka with Chinese assistance, which
upon completion will stand as a symbol of enhancing 50 years of
friendship between the two countries.
Trade relations between the two countries were
formalized by the signing of a General Trade
Agreement and Trade and Payment Agreement in
1952.
 In 1982 both countries signed a trade Agreement
with a view to setting up a Joint Trade
Committee.
 In 1984 an Agreement on Economic and Trade
Cooperation was signed.
 In 1991 the two Joint Committees formed under
the Agreement of 1982 and 1984 were
amalgamated to constitute the Sri Lanka-China
Joint Commission for Economic and Trade
Cooperation.

 Sri
Lanka needs to foster a strong mutual
relationship with Pakistan and China to
maintain strong economic and military
development. The need of the hour is that
all three countries come together to form a
new association so that they all can benefit
from each others expertise with this new
friendship block in Asia. The friendship block
would be a continuation, evolution and
institutionalization of old prevailing realities.
Infact, it would be a practical answer to the
challenges of security and economic
development member states currently face.
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People-to-People Contacts
Political Affairs
Military Cooperation
Security Cooperation
International Legal and Judicial Cooperation
Information, Communication and Media
Economic Cooperation
Science and Technology
Cooperation in the field of Human and Environment Affairs
Economic Relations with the Other Countries and Economic
Groupings
Social Welfare & Development
Tourism
Common Market
Disaster Management
The national interest of a state is the state's
survival and security. Also important are the
pursuit of wealth, economic growth and the
future of its people. As the saying goes ‘One
loyal friend is worth ten thousand’ in this
region Sri Lanka has two Pakistan and China
Thanks