Sri Lanka and Thailand on Friday decided to enhance maritime security during a meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and visiting Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Rajapaksa said that sharing experiences and expertise will contribute to eradicating terrorism and other security threats in the region, the President's Office said.

He pointed out that despite the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, supporters of the Tamil Tigers are continuing their fight to divide Sri Lanka from foreign shores.

"We must cooperate more closely in security-related information and intelligence sharing," Rajapaksa said.

Rajapaksa also expressed gratitude to Thailand for its "firm support" to Sri Lanka at the 19th and 22nd UN Human Rights Council meetings, adding that Sri Lanka "should be entitled to have time and space to proceed with a delicate process of national reconciliation."

Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra meanwhile spoke highly of the Sri Lankan government's efforts in fighting terrorism under the leadership of Rajapaksa.

The two leaders also spoke about trade relations, acknowledging that there is room for improvement. Rajapaksa invited the Thai government to invest in Sri Lankan government debentures and expressed the willingness to work more closely with Thailand in promoting more business opportunities in the small and medium industrial sector.

Following the bilateral discussions, the two countries signed several MoUs in the areas of immigration, tourism, scientific and technical cooperation, and commerce and banking.

Shinawatra's visit to the island is a part of the activities planned to mark the 260th anniversary of the establishment of the Siam Maha Nikaya in Sri Lanka. The Thai delegation comprised of several high-level government officials including Surapong Tovichakchaikul who serves as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand. Enditem

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