Modi and Wickremesinghe meet to discuss bilateral issue during later’s visit to India

New Delhi, Oct 20: Amid some allegations and later clarifications, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss bilateral issues.

Both the leaders have also reviewed the progress in implementation of various decisions taken during high level exchanges in the recent past. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Dobhal called on the visiting dignitary.

The ministry of external affairs said, "The visit is part of our continuing engagement with the government of Sri Lanka at the highest level. This multi-faceted partnership has been marked by close contacts at the highest political level, growing trade and investment, wide ranging development cooperation, increasing linkages in the fields of education, health, infrastructure, connectivity and capacity building and broadening people to people contacts."

The ministry said that both the Prime Ministers discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and ways to further deepen the historically close and friendly relations between the two countries. The leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues.

They also reviewed the progress in implementation of various decisions taken during high level exchanges in the recent past, including the visit of Sri Lankan Prime Minister in April and November 2017, Prime Minister's visit to Sri Lanka in May 2017 during the International Vesak Day Celebrations and the visit of Sri Lankan President for the International Solar Alliance Founding Conference in March 2018.

Wickremesinghe was on his official visit to India from 18-20 October 2018. He was accompanied by his wife Prof.

Maithree Wickramasinghe, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and Minister of Youth Affairs, Project Management and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake and senior officials from Government of Sri Lanka. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka held delegation level talks with the Prime Minister.