Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India, visited Sri Lanka from February 18-20, 2017 for bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan leaders. His visit is part of the continued high level engagement between the two countries.

During his visit, Dr. Jaishankar called on H.E. Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka and Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also met Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera; Hon’ble Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Mr. Malik Samarawickrama, and officer senior Ministers as well as Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Esala Weerakoon.

Dr. Jaishankar  also interacted with a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by Hon’ble Leader of Opposition, Mr. R. Sampanthan; a delegation from Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) comprising of Hon’ble Minister of National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages, Mr. Mano Ganesan, Hon’ble Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development Mr. P. Digambaran, Hon’ble State Minister of Education Mr. V. Radhakrishnan; and a delegation from Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) led by Mr. A. Thondaman. Dr. Jaishankar met with the leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Hon’ble Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, Mr. Rauff Hakeem and leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), Hon’ble Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Rishad Bathiudeen.

Dr. Jaishankar reviewed the entire gamut of our bilateral relations, particularly Indian assisted economic projects and development particularly with Sri Lanka. In response to the drought situation in Sri Lanka, Dr. Jaishankar conveyed on behalf of Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj to Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera that India would donate eight water bowsers and 100 metric tonnes of rice as immediate assistance, and was ready to provide further assistance as required.

Colombo
20 February 2017

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