India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake who is currently on a visit to India, his first, since winning the polls a few months ago.
After meeting Dissanayake, Jaishankar said: “Pleased to call on President @anuradisanayake at the start of his first State Visit to India. Sri Lanka is key to both India’s Neighborhood First policy and SAGAR Outlook.”
Jaishankar expressed confidence that Dissanayake’s upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead to ‘greater trust and deeper cooperation’ between the two neighbours.
The Sri Lankan President arrived in India on Sunday.
Dissanayake’s three-day visit will conclude on December 17.
“This will be the first bilateral visit of President Disanayaka to India after the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka,” read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Sri Lankan President will meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, and discuss bilateral issues of mutual interest.
“President Disanayaka will also participate in a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka. Further, he will visit Bodh Gaya as part of the visit,” read the MEA statement.
The Indian government described Sri Lanka as the country’s closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a central place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
During Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka in October, he invited Dissanayake to India.
