COLOMBO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor have arrived here for a three-day official working visit to the island nation.
The aircraft carrying the Malaysian delegation landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 8.40am local time (11.10am Malaysian time).
This is Najib’s first official working visit to Sri Lanka, in reciprocation of Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena's visit to Malaysia last December.
It is also in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Najib and Rosmah were greeted by Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, who is also its Development Assignments Minister, and charge d'affaires of the Malaysian High Commission in Sri Lanka, Zainal Izran Zahari.
From the airport, Najib and his entourage headed for their hotel where they will stay for the duration of their visit, before flying off to the Maldives on another official working visit on Tuesday.
Among those who welcomed the Malaysian delegation at the hotel were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, and Malaysia's Special Envoy to India and South Asia Tun S. Samy Vellu.
On Monday, Najib and his wife will be given an official welcoming ceremony, followed by a one-to-one meeting with Sirisena.
Both leaders will also witness the signing of several memorandums of understanding and agreements between the two countries in the fields of training, science and technology, communication and bio-economy.
Najib will also attend a roundtable meeting with Sri Lankan businessmen, as well as meetings with representatives of Malaysian companies and communities here.