Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for the Maldives on an official three-day visit on Saturday, the official Daily News reported.

This tour will be the president's first official visit to the Maldives since he assumed office as president in November 2005, said the newspaper.

"The visit is expected to further consolidate the existing bilateral links between the two friendly SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries," the paper said.

It will also enhance and promote cooperation between the Maldives and Sri Lanka in the spheres of trade, tourism, education and fisheries.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Investment Promotion and International Trade Minister G. L. Peiris, Education Minister Susil Premjayantha, Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda, and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera will accompany the president on this tour.

Source: Xinhua