EAM Jaishankar to meet Lankan President Dissanayake in Colombo on Friday

New Delhi/Colombo: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on new Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the country's Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya during his official visit to the island nation on Friday.

"External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka on October 4 and meet with the Sri Lankan leadership. ​In keeping with India's Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

This will be EAM Jaishankar's first visit to the neighbouring country after Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn as the ninth Executive President of Sri Lanka on September 23 following his coalition's victory in the presidential elections.

A day later, National People's Power (NPP) MP Harini Amarasuriya took the oath of office as the new Prime Minister of the country, only the third woman to hold the position after Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

"During this visit, the External Affairs Minister of India is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The visiting Indian External Affairs Minister and his delegation will also have a meeting with Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Jaishankar will be accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs of India," the Lankan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Dissanayake for winning the presidential elections.

"Congratulations Anura Dissanayake, on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Sri Lanka holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region," PM Modi said in a social media post on September 22.

India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha had also called on Dissanayake and conveyed greetings from India's leadership, just a few hours after the result was decided following Sri Lanka's first-ever presidential run-off.

--IANS

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