Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will embark on a two-day official visit to India in the month of July 2023 for talks with the country’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to further advance and consolidate the bilateral relations.
This will be Wickremesinghe’s first visit to India after being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a people’s uprising in July.
President Wickremesinghe is undertaking the official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said in a statement this week.
Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had visited Sri Lanka to prepare the groundwork for Wickremesinghe’s visit.
During his visit, Wickremesinghe will meet Indian President and hold discussions with the Prime Minister and other Indian dignitaries on a range of issues of mutual interest, the MEA said.
“Sri Lanka is an important partner in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision SAGAR. The visit will reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two countries and explore avenues for enhanced connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors,” it said.
The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said Wickremesinghe’s visit is aimed at further advancing and consolidating the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries. The visit takes place as both countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
