External Affairs Minister Jaishankar meets Sri Lankan PM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and discussed issues relating to development partnership and security cooperation between the two neighboring countries. Mahinda Rajapaksa, elder brother of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arrived here on Friday on a five-day trip, his first overseas visit after being appointed as prime minister of the island nation in November last year.

Officials said a number of issues relating to defense, security and trade figured in the meeting between the Sri Lankan prime minister and Jaishankar. After his official engagement in Delhi, Rajapaksa will travel to Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, and Tirupati.

Mahinda Rajapaksa served as the country's president from 2005-2015, becoming one of the longest-serving leaders in South Asia. He was also prime minister for a brief period in 2018. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited India in November which was also his first official overseas trip after taking charge of the top office.

Mahinda Rajapaksa's tenure as president saw China expanding its footprints in the Indian Ocean island nation, triggering concerns in India.