India expects new govt. to take forward national reconciliation process

• Our relations with Sri Lanka, or for that matter with any neighbouring country is independent of our relations with third countries

The Indian government expects Sri Lanka’s new government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to take forward the process of national reconciliation in order to meet the aspirations of the Tamil minority for “equality, justice, peace and dignity”.

This was the message conveyed by external affairs minister S. Jaishankar during a meeting with the newly elected Sri Lankan president in Colombo on Tuesday. Jaishankar had visited Sri Lanka as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey the premier’s greetings on Rajapaksa’s election win and to invite him to India.

Rajapaksa accepted the invitation and will make a state visit to India during November 29-30.This is expected to be his first visit abroad after assuming office. “The external affairs minister conveyed to President Rajapaksa India’s expectation that the Sri Lankan government will take forward the process of national reconciliation to arrive at a solution that meets the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, justice, peace and dignity,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a regular news briefing on Thursday.

“You must have seen President Rajapaksa’s statement where he affirmed that he will be the president of all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their racial or religious identity and without creating a distinction on whether they voted for him or not,” he said.