Picture : Twitter/ ANI
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from January 19-20, 2023.
As per ANI report, During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to have official discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry and pay courtesy calls on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minster Dinesh Gunawardena and other dignitaries, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka press release.
Jaishankar will be accompanied by Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri from the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Regarding Sri Lanka’s tour, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Jaishankar’s visit will follow his earlier trips to the bankrupt country in January 2021 and March 2022. Sri Lanka is a close friend and neighbour, and India has stood with the people of Sri Lanka at all times.
“During the visit, EAM will call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and also hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs MUM Ali Sabry on the entire gamut of close India-Sri Lanka partnership and steps to strengthen it in all spheres,” the statement stated.
India and Sri Lanka share a good relationship. Under the “Neighbourhood First Policy,” India had extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items, Sri Lanka based news publication News 19 reported.
