ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the South Asia Sustainability and Security Research Institute (SASSRI), Sri Lanka, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen institutional cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The MoU was signed at a simple ceremony held at ISSI as part of the institute’s international outreach aimed at building cooperative institutional mechanisms, particularly with regional partners.
The agreement seeks to promote collaboration in research, policy dialogue, joint publications and events on issues of shared concern.
The ceremony was attended by the leadership of ISSI and SASSRI, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Colombo H.E. Major General Dr Nayyar Naseer, HI (M), and Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Islamabad Mr A. Christy Ruban.
Participants highlighted the longstanding fraternal relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, covering diplomatic, defence, cultural and humanitarian fields.
They noted that for a prosperous and connected South Asia, countries of the region needed to move closer and reinforce mutual ties through sustained engagement, dialogue and practical cooperation.
The role of regional cooperation in South Asia’s collective development was also underlined, with particular emphasis on the need to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Under the MoU, both sides suggested concrete steps including joint events, policy papers and researchers’ exchange programmes.
The leadership of the two think tanks expressed their resolve to work together for shaping stronger policy discourse and better-informed public opinion in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
