Ukraine and Sri Lanka will cooperate in the sphere of tourism and military engineering.

Respective agreements were signed in Kyiv on Wednesday after a meeting between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"During the talks held between the Ukrainian and Sri Lankan sides, we have reached agreement on the need to continue expanding our cooperation in trade, tourism and defense," the Sri Lankan president said at a press conference after the negotiations.

He said that the sides had also agreed to hold bilateral consultations on the creation of an intergovernmental commission.

Yanukovych, in turn, said that cooperation in shipbuilding, energy, fishery, as well as industrial and infrastructure construction was among priority tasks.

He noted that the sides had stressed the need to use the two countries' trade and economic potential "in full." First and foremost, this concerns investment business and food supplies from Ukraine to Sri Lanka, he added.

"In this connection, we have taken a fundamental decision to set up a joint intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation and a Ukrainian-Sri Lankan business council," Yanukovych said.

He also said that after the negotiations the sides had signed a number of international accords that expand the agreement basis between the two countries, in particular, in trade and economic cooperation, and create a solid platform for the effective development of such cooperation.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that the sides had signed bilateral agreements on cooperation in the sphere of tourism, military engineering and the protection of classified information.

The British Business Club in Ukraine already has close connections with Sri Lanka. the BBCU will be leading a special 'Paradise Property Tour to Sri Lanka' during 18-27 July, where many Ukrainains will be given the chance to see at first hand the great opportunites that exist in Sri Lanka for business and property ownership.

"Sri Lanka is now emerging from 28 years of internal conflict. The country offers great potential and is one of the best kept secrets in Asia. The country is a hidden Paradise and is now open to foreign investment, particularly in tourism". said Gerald Bowers - General Director of the British Business Club in Ukraine