Modi holds talks with Lanka PM to boost ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks Saturday covering the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and global issues and discussed ways to deepen the “historically close” relations between the two countries.
According to news agency reports, the issue of India operating Sri Lanka’s loss- making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota also figured in the talks that took place amidst concerns of growing Chinese economic influence in the island nation.
Mr Wickremesinghe’s India visit was preceded by controversial media reports that Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had accused India’s Research and Analysis Wing of plotting his assassination, a claim firmly rejected as “false” by Colombo.
Visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during which the two leaders “discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and ways to further deepen the historically close and friendly relations between the two countries”.
The two leaders also “exchanged views on regional and global issues”. According to news agency reports, the issue of India operating Sri Lanka’s loss- making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota was also understood to have figured in the talks.
The talks took place in the backdrop of growing Chinese economic influence in the island nation where China has already made huge investments in projects.
During the visit, the Sri Lankan PM also met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, home minister Rajnath Singh and national security advisor Ajit Doval.
In a statement, the ministry of external affairs ( MEA) said, “The visit is part of our continuing engagement with the government of Sri Lanka at the highest level. This multi- faceted partnership has been marked by close contacts at the highest political level, growing trade and investment, wide ranging development cooperation, increasing linkages in the fields of education, health, infrastructure, connectivity and capacity building and broadening people- to- people contacts.”