Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Begins 3-Day India Visit

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake started his three-day visit to India on Sunday, his first overseas visit after assuming office.

During his visit, Dissanayake will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Deputy Minister of Finance Anil Jayantha Fernando.

Dissanayaka’s visit to India is expected to further bolster the multi-faceted and mutually beneficial bilateral ties, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi on Friday.

Issues relating to maritime security cooperation are likely to figure in talks during Dissanayaka’s visit, it said.

The December 15-17 visit is Dissanayake’s first overseas visit since being elected the island nation’s president on September 23.

Apart from his meetings with India’s political leadership, Dissanayaka will attend a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka. He is also scheduled to visit Bodh Gaya, a statement from MEA said.

The invitation to visit New Delhi was extended by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who visited Colombo less than a fortnight after Dissanayake’s victory and was the first foreign dignitary to visit the island nation since the National People’s Power (NPP) government came to power.

Dissanayake’s visit was on hold until the completion of the parliamentary election in November when his NPP recorded a historic win, gaining absolute control of the 225-member Parliament.