Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar arrives in Sri Lanka

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar arrived in Sri Lanka this morning (June 20), for an official visit.

He was warmly welcomed at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake by Sri Lanka’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya and the Governor of Eastern Province Senthil Thondaman.

After his arrival, Jaishankar shared on the social media platform ‘X’ that he is looking forward to his meetings with the Sri Lankan leadership. He emphasized that Sri Lanka is a key part of India’s Neighborhood First and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies.

During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet with Sri Lankan leaders to discuss a broad range of partnership issues, according to the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

This visit marks Jaishankar’s first bilateral trip since the formation of the new Indian Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The High Commission stated that the visit reaffirms India’s Neighborhood First Policy and highlights India’s ongoing commitment to Sri Lanka as its closest maritime neighbor and long-standing friend.

The visit is expected to boost connectivity projects and other mutually beneficial cooperation across various sectors.

Recently, during a meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in India, Jaishankar discussed the quick resumption of development projects in Sri Lanka funded by Indian investments, which had been previously halted.

He also expressed his intention to visit Sri Lanka to oversee the progress of these projects.

Dr. Jaishankar assured that he would coordinate with Sri Lankan officials to expedite the start of development projects supported by Indian investments and facilitate the Indian Prime Minister’s upcoming visit.

Additionally, he mentioned plans for an industrial zone in Trincomalee, which will be established by the Indian government and is expected to attract many Indian investors, as well as investors from other countries.