Further progress in Indo- Sri Lanka bilateral relations

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh last week emphasised the need to implement the conclusions and objectives of the Joint Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the state visit of President Rajapaksa to India in June, 2010.

This was reiterated when President Mahinda Rajapaksa met the Prime Minister of India at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.

President Rajapaksa congratulated India for successfully staging the Commonwealth Games. The Indian Prime Minister profusely thanked President Rajapaksa for attending the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

Both sides acknowledged that the post-conflict era provided enormous potential for economic cooperation between India and Sri Lanka and to work together for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries. President Rajapaksa explained the process of resettlement of internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka and thanked India for the assistance provided in building houses for resettled persons. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, expressed his best wishes to President Rajapaksa for his second presidential term which begins in November 2010.

The cordial discussions were followed by a lunch hosted by the Indian Prime Minister at his residence in honour of the President and among the distinguished guests were several Indian cabinet ministers including the Minister of External Affairs S. M. Krishna, Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitly of the Bharatiya Janatha Party.

Other distinguished guests included Ministers of External Affairs of the two countries S. M. Krishna and Prof. G. L. Peiris, Sajin de Vass Gunawardena M P, Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, two Secretaries to the Ministries of External Affairs, Nirupama Rao and Romesh Jayasinghe and two High Commissioners Ashok Kantha and Prasad Kariyawasam.