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New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe reached India on Thursday on his maiden two-day visit since he assumed office. The Ministry of External Affairs tweeted, “Warm welcome to President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka on his maiden visit to India since assumption of the Office of President. Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport. The visit will further boost the multi-pronged India-Sri Lanka partnership.
Warm welcome to the President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka on his maiden visit to India since assumption of the Office of President.
Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport.
The visit will further boost the multi-pronged 🇮🇳-🇱🇰 partnership. pic.twitter.com/AKZbauUzlo
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 20, 2023
“Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the President is scheduled to meet Indian President Smt. Draupadi Murmu and hold discussions with PM Narendra Modi and other dignitaries during his visit to enhance bilateral relations and explore areas of mutual interests,” the President’s Media Office had said.
Earlier in a statement in New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry had said that Sri Lanka is an important partner in India’s Neighborhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR.
“The visit will reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two countries and explore avenues for enhanced connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors,” the MEA statement said.
#WATCH , Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives in Delhi for his two-day official visit to India.
During his visit, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/R7n3j6jy0B
— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2023
The agenda of Wickremesinghe’s visit, that aims to advance and consolidate the bilateral relations between the island nation and India, also includes development initiatives in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, agreements with India on projects focused on renewable energy, water supply, infrastructure development, investment promotion zones and the tourism sector.
It is to be noted that this marks Wickremesinghe’s first visit to India after being appointed the President of the country, that was reeling under severe economic crisis last year, following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a people’s uprising in July. Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis last year, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves.
According to a PTI report, President Wickremesinghe, also Sri Lanka’s finance minister, said last week that the country would like to see the Indian rupee used as much as the US dollar.
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