Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is slated to visit India early next month, according to Sri Lankan media reports that appeared on Sunday. The dates are yet to be fixed.
He will hold talks with his counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi amongst others. The issue of 13th Amendment will be one of the main talking points between the two leaders.
This will be the third high level visit from Sri Lanka after President Lt. Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the Presidential elections in the month of November last year.
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The President made India his visit destination after the electoral victory, a week after the election results were declared.
During the visit, India announced an aid of US $450 million including the US $50 million to fight terrorism to Sri Lanka.
Last week, the Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardene paid a visit to India and met his counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar.
They discussed matter of mutual interest and the issue of the arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities.
This will also be the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s first high level visit to India after assuming office in November.
India and Sri Lanka continue to enhance their strategic ties. There were certain apprehensions after the victory of President Rajapaksa that relations may not be sustained due to past conflicts. However, keeping up with its recent policy of pro-active diplomacy, the External Affairs Minister of India paid a visit to Colombo and extended an invitation to the newly elected leader to visit India.