Thursday, 19 February 2015 00:25
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Reuters: Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne on Tuesday (17 February) called on India’s junior Interior Minister Kiren Rijiju, on the delegation’s visit to strengthen bilateral ties.
Senaratne and Rijiju shook hands and exchanged gifts as they were accompanied by delegations of both sides in New Delhi.
As per reports, Senaratne had met his Indian counterpart Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday (16 February) and discussed issues regarding cooperation between the two neighbours in the health sector.
Nadda has invited Senaratne to attend the next SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Health Ministers meeting in New Delhi, the dates for which are not yet decided.
The Sri Lankan delegation arrived in India on Sunday (15 February) along with President Maithripala Sirisena, on his first state visit after he was elected by a landslide in January.
Both countries on Monday signed a slew of agreements on agriculture, commerce and other issues, the chief being the inking of a nuclear pact that had been stalled.
Under the deal, India will help Sri Lanka build its nuclear energy infrastructure, including training of personnel. Sirisena’s four-day India visit aims at rebuilding ties after his predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s, pro-China stance had made Sri Lanka’s South Asian neighbour wary.
