COLOMBO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka and the Maldives signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of cultural exchange and health cooperation, and the establishment of the Maldives Cultural Center in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

The ministry said in a statement that the documents were inked at the conclusion of the fourth session of the Sri Lanka-Maldives joint commission in Colombo on Wednesday.

The joint commission focused on further expanding bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including trade and investment, tourism, employment, fisheries, education, health and cultural cooperation between the two South Asian countries, according to the ministry.

To facilitate the implementation of agreed cooperation, both sides also agreed to set up working groups in the fields of trade, fisheries, tourism and health, said the ministry.

The ministry said the joint commission yielded beneficial outcomes for Sri Lanka, including the possibility of enhanced cooperation in the tourism and fisheries sectors, expanding employment opportunities, as well as an agreement on facilitating trade and investments in the Maldives.

To promote Sri Lanka as a viable education hub among young Maldivian talents, Sri Lanka expressed its willingness to expedite measures to complete the required due procedures in facilitating the issuance of visas for students under 18 on a concessionary and reciprocal basis.

The joint commission, which was established in 1984, provides a platform for regular and more structured review of the longstanding bilateral relations and dialogue between the two island countries, according to the ministry. Enditem

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