Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “ very interested” in Sri Lanka and the region and that augured well for the Island Nation, which was on the threshold of a new era.

Speaking at the Indian High Commission reception to mark the 66th Indian Republic Day, Wickremesinghe has Sri Lanka is wanting to go beyond strengthening traditional ties to strengthening economic ties to enter the modern age.

He further said that the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and the masses who voted him to power share this perspective.

Wickremesinghe appealed to Lankan businessmen to link up with India to explore new opportunities thrown up by a resurgent neighbor.

The Lanka PM broke diplomatic tradition by agreeing to be the chief guest at India’s National Day when normally the chief guests are ministers.

The reception was a rare gathering of Colombo’ s elite.Twenty six ministers, the leader of the opposition Nimal Sripalade Siva, former President Chandrika Kumaratunge,  top honchos of Indian and Sri Lankan companies, and foreign envoys were present.

Speaking at the morning function meant exclusively for Indian nationals living in Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Y K Sinha noted that this year’s Republic Day function in Colombo is being held after landmark national elections in India and Sri Lanka, which had thrown up new governments.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the island in March. His coming to Sri Lanka will be the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister since Rajiv Gandhi arrived to sign the landmark India-Sri Lanka Accord in July 1987, to settle the ethnic question in the Island Nation. Other Indian PM had visited Lanka, but only to attend multilateral meetings.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will be visiting India as his first official foreign trip as president.
(The New Indian Express)