COLOMBO, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe will pay a state visit to Sri Lanka from Nov. 12 to 15, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday in a statement.

    Than Shwe's Colombo visit is a reciprocal one to Nay Pyi Taw bySri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in June this year. Both visits mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

    "The visit symbolizes the goodwill and unbroken friendly relations between the two countries," said the statement, adding that a Myanmar head of state is visiting Sri Lanka after a lapse of more than 40 years.

    The most significant purpose of this visit for Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, is to pay homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka's central town of Kandy.

    During his visit, a MoU is expected to be signed by the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and Shwedagon Temple of Myanmar.

    Than Shwe will also visit Sri Lanka's ancient capital of Anuradhapura during his stay in the Indian Ocean island.

    During Rajapakse's June Myanmar visit, the two countries signed an agreement on mutual exemption of visas for diplomatic passport and service passport holders of the two countries and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism.

    Myanmar and Sri Lanka, which established diplomatic relations on June 7, 1949, have enjoyed cultural and religious ties since the 11th century.

    Both Myanmar and Sri Lanka are members of the subregional grouping of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation which also comprises Bangladesh, India and Thailand.