Singh accepts Rajapaksa's invitation to visit Lanka

Colombo, June 11: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted President Mahinda Rajapaksa's invitation to visit Sri Lanka, officials said on Friday, June 11.

National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, who along with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar called on the Sri Lankan President, handed over a letter of acceptance of Rajapaksa'a offer by Prime Minister Singh, said Bandula Jayasekera, the Sri Lankan presidential spokesman.

However, it was not known when the Prime Minister's visit here would take place.

Singh had last visited Colombo in August 2008 for the SAARC summit hosted by Sri Lanka.

Details of other bilateral issues discussed between the two sides were not disclosed by the officials.

The top Indian officials'' visit here came against the backdrop of a resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu state assembly, calling for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the two-day visit which began yesterday, Menon called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Chennai and is understood to have apprised her on the Centre''s action on mitigating sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils.

The Indian officials also met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris on Thursday, June 9. No details of the closed-door meeting was released by either side.

PTI