Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa (c) arrives in Yangon from Nay Pyi Taw on June 15.

SRI Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Nay Pyi Taw on June 14 for a three-day state visit to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The visit – which ended on June 16 – came at the invitation of Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe, whom Mr Rajapaksa met on the day of his arrival.

During his visit to Nay Pyi Taw, Mr Rajapaksa also met with Prime Minister General Thein Sein and Minister of Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries, said the Sri Lankan ambassador to Myanmar, Mr Newton Gunaratna.

“During the president’s visit, the two governments signed an agreement and a memorandum of understanding. The first was an agreement on visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and official service passports, and the MOU was for tourism cooperation between two countries,” he said.

He said that according to the agreement, Myanmar and Sri Lanka will enact bilateral visa fee exemptions for diplomats, government officials.

Mr Rajapaksa attended a state banquet hosted by Senior General Than Shwe and take part in a tree-planting ceremony at the National Herbal Garden on June 15 before returning to Yangon.

Back in the former capital, the Sri Lankan president visited Shwedagon Pagoda and attended an opening ceremony at Sedona Hotel for Meththa village in Kungyangon township in Yangon Division on June 16.

The village of 736 houses was built following Cyclone Nargis, using donations from Dr Bodagama Chandima Thero, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka.

At the ceremony, Mr Rajapaksa and his wife handed over home ownership documents to people living in Meththa, and the president unveiled the commemorative plaque for the village.

Last week’s visit was the first to Myanmar by Mr Rajapaksa since he assumed the presidential post in November 2005. He had travelled to Myanmar in 2004 as prime minister to attend the World Buddhist Summit.

Mr Gunaratna said the two countries have a long history of close religious and cultural links, adding that relations were “warm, cordial and friendly”. Myanmar was among the first five countries to establish diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka when it gained independence in 1948.

Mr Gunaratna said the two countries have demonstrated a willingness to help one another when the need arose, with Sri Lanka making donations to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, and Myanmar making a recent donation of US$50,000 to Sri Lanka for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons in the northern part of the country.

Mr Gunaratna said that on June 15, the Sri Lankan delegation accompanying the president met with members of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) to discuss business matters, including the formation of an organisation to boost trade between the two countries.