Relationship dossier
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Relationship assessment
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have built enduring trade and security ties, including wartime military assistance and a bilateral free-trade agreement.
Pakistan toward Sri Lanka
+50Pakistan supplied military assistance to the Sri Lankan government during the civil war and has maintained bilateral defense cooperation. It also concluded a free-trade agreement with Sri Lanka, which entered into force in 2005.
Sri Lanka toward Pakistan
+35Sri Lanka concluded and implemented a bilateral free-trade agreement with Pakistan and has maintained defense cooperation, including military ties. These arrangements represent concrete Sri Lankan government engagement with Pakistan.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is characterized by sustained security engagement and a bilateral trade framework. Pakistan's military assistance during Sri Lanka's civil war and the free-trade agreement provide substantial foundations for cooperation, while the depth and implementation of these ties have varied.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have maintained substantive economic and security cooperation. Pakistan supplied military assistance to Sri Lanka during its civil war, while the countries established a bilateral free-trade agreement and continued defense cooperation. Sri Lanka's participation in the trade agreement and security ties reflects concrete cooperation with Pakistan, though the breadth and intensity of cooperation have varied.
Key developments
Pakistan and Sri Lanka signed a bilateral free-trade agreement.
The Pakistan–Sri Lanka free-trade agreement entered into force.
Pakistan supplied military assistance to the Sri Lankan government during the civil war.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of cooperation under the free-trade agreement in recent years is unclear.