Shivshankar Menon holds talks with Rajapakse

Colombo, Jan 17: Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary, Shivshankar Menon held talks with SriLankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse on Saturday, Jan 17 morning in the central hill district of Kandy. The meeting was convened a day after India announced second instalment of humanitarian assistance amounting to 4 crore Sri Lankan rupees for the war-affected Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka's north.

Rajapakse and Menon discussed about the bilateral ties and current happenings in the war-ravaged north, where troops are fighting the Tamil Tigers in their last bastions

Menon on Friday, Jan 16 handed over token of consignment to senior Presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse as a part of humanitarian assistance to the war affected people of Sri Lanka.

The first consignment of approximately 1,700 tonne comprising 80,000 ready-to-use family packs containing food, clothing and personal hygiene items arrived in Sri Lanka within three weeks and has been distributed to those in need with the assistance of the ICRC and the Sri Lankan Government.

The Indian High Commission in a statement on Friday said, "India will continue to work with Sri Lanka in meeting the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in northern Sri Lanka."

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)