Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka.
The visit aims further deepen Indian ties with the neighbouring island nation where China has been trying to expand its influence.
Prime Minister on Friday attended the biggest Buddhist festival ‘Vesak Day’ as its chief guest.
Speaking at the celebrations in Colombo, PM Modi said that the themes of social justice and sustainable world peace, chosen for the Vesak day, resonate deeply with Buddha’s teachings.
Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Kandy where PM Modi will interact with a group of Tamil people in the upcountry region, seen as an effort to reach out to the community.
It has been learned that PM Modi will dedicate a hospital built with the financial assistance of Rs 150 crore by India.
This is PM Modi’s second visit to Sri Lanka since becoming the prime minister.
In Kandy, the Prime Minister will visit the famous Dalada Maligawa which is a Buddhist temple. The upcountry area in Sri Lanka is dominated by Tamil plantation workers who have strong bonding with Tamil Nadu and Panda said there have been a lot of expectations from them to receive Modi.
PM Modi had visited Sri Lanka in March 2015. His visit to Sri Lanka comes close on the heels of a trip by his counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe.
During that visit, the two countries had signed a pact to boost economic ties as Modi and Wickremesinghe discussed a range of bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest. The pact provided a framework to identify the infrastructure projects where India could invest.