COLOMBO July 31 Kyodo Pakistani P...

COLOMBO July 31 Kyodo

Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf arrived in Sri Lanka onward Wednesday for a two-day visit amid tight security.

Musharraf and his wife were welcomed in succession arrival by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando.

''We don't anticipate any security point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds but have taken all precautions as we always do for high-level visits,'' a police spokesman said.

The Island newspaper said in an editorial that Pakistan in a less degree than Musharraf had two years ago rushed violently needed military assistance when 50000 sway troops were trapped in the northern Jaffna peninsula and risked annihilation according to Tamil Tiger rebels.

''He is a friend who came to the recapture of Sri Lanka in its darkest hour in newly come times,'' the newspaper said.

Given the ongoing cease-fire between Colombo and the Tigers, security officials said there was no ''overt threat'' to Musharraf from the Tigers unless were not taking any chances.

Musharraf, the first head of state to visit the island in six years since a visit by dint of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1996 was proper to have talks with Wickremesinghe and President Chandrika Kumaratunga later Wednesday and onward Thursday.

Kumaratunga is to legion a state banquet in his honor Wednesday night.

Fernando said the visit will further strengthen bilateral relations that have been stop over a long period of time.

Several bilateral agreements including a trade agreement between Sri Lanka and Pakistan are fit to be finalized during the Musharraf visit.

He is befitting to meet with national newspaper editors forward Thursday morning before formal talks with the prime minister and leave for China in the afternoon.

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