EAM Jaishankar to be in Colombo to organise PM Modi's visit

Colombo : India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will soon visit Sri Lanka to set the ball rolling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the island nation in the coming months, the Lankan President's Media Division said in Colombo on Monday.

A discussion on this took place when Jaishankar met visiting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi on Monday.

Jaishankar's visit, the Lankan Foreign Ministry detailed, will also take stock of the progress being made on projects being funded by Indian investments and expedite the pending plans.

During their discussion, Jaishankar and the Lankan President also held talks on plans to establish an industrial zone in Trincomalee, the port city of the country's Eastern province, to attract Indian investors and potential investors from other countries.

President Wickremesinghe informed the Indian Minister that the new Economic Transformation Act will devolve powers in agriculture, health, education, and economic management to the Provincial Councils.

The meeting also covered the agricultural modernisation programme being implemented in the country and addressed the ongoing issues between the fishermen of both nations, aiming for a swift resolution of issues.

Jaishankar informed President Wickrmesinghe of the swift resumption of development projects initiated in Sri Lanka with Indian investments, which had been halted midway.

President Wickremesinghe assured that estate line rooms where the Indian-origin Tamil labourers live would be designated as estate villages through a gazette notification, allowing for their development under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Sri Lankan President also mentioned that the Truth and Reconciliation Bill will be submitted to the Parliament by next month.