NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, will be on an official visit to Colombo on Friday and meet the newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.This is the first visit of any foreign minister to Sri Lanka since the new government was sworn in last week. Dr Jaishankar’s meeting with the leadership reaffirms India’s bilateral ties with Sri Lanka.”In keeping with India’s neighbourhood first policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).This will be the first high-level engagement between India and Sri Lanka since the new President was sworn in.It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was amongst the first world leaders to wish Dissanayake and India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha was the first foreign diplomat to call on him after the election results were announced.”Sri Lanka holds a special place in India’s neighbourhood and I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation,” said PM Modi during his congratulatory message.President Dissanayke in response to PM Modi’s message said that he shared India’s commitment to strengthening ties.”Together we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region,” Dissanayke had said.Meanwhile, on October 2nd, High Commissioner Jha met with Dissanayke again at the Presidential Secretariat.”During our conversation, HC Jha congratulated the new government and expressed India’s readiness to support our development process in any way possible. He emphasised that India wished to see Sri Lanka emerge as a peaceful and stable state in the region,” said President Dissanayake.Meanwhile, HC Jha, talking about his interaction with President Dissanayake, shared progess in the upward trajectory of the India-Sri Lanka partnership and discussed ways to further strengthen the longstanding friendship.
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