Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris on Sunday Ali on the sidelines of the series of Foreign Ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation.

In his meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Wang said current China-Sri Lanka relationship maintains a sound momentum of growth. President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited China for the 4th CICA summit and had a successful meeting with President Xi Jinping.

“Major progress has been achieved in the Joint Feasibility Study on China- Sri Lanka Free Trade Area and infrastructure construction cooperation,” Wang added.

Both sides should maintain high-level interactions, deepen practical cooperation in areas like economy, trade and infrastructure construction, jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and foster new highlights of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Wang added.

Peiris said that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka has not only withstood the test of time, but also has grown stronger, and now stands as a fine example of mutually beneficial relationship between developing countries. Sri Lanka supports the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and will make positive efforts in this regard.

Sri Lanka is ready to work with China to expand bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, national defense and security, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and push for new progress in the Sri Lanka-China strategic partnership of cooperation, the Sri Lankan foreign minister added.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also met his Bangladeshi counterpart Mahmood Ali and Pakistani prime minister's advisor on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz, to enhance bilateral relations. (With inputs from Xinhua}