President Gotabaya Rajapaksa held fruitful discussions with heads of state and representatives with the aim of promoting trade, tourism and education sectors.

The President, who is in Glasgow to attend COP-26 UN Climate Change Conference, held these discussions yesterday (November 02).

President Rajapaksa and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa held discussions on further strengthening the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Both leaders discussed a wide range of fields, including the possibility of receiving employment opportunities for Sri Lankans with professional skills instead of domestic service.

The President and the Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, discussed increasing the number of flights and promoting tourism and education between the two countries. SriLankan Airlines operates four flights a week between Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The meeting between Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took place at the Merchants House in Glasgow.

Secretary-General Scotland informed the President that the Commonwealth helps member countries to expand market opportunities.

The President met with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, President of Ukraine VolodymyrZelensky, Director General of the World Trade Organization NgoziOkonjo-Iweala as well as Heads of State and Representatives of several Middle Eastern and Western countries and held discussions on enabling new opportunities in tourism, financial and several other sectors in Sri Lanka.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the UK Saroja Sirisena were also present.