Indian Envoy Meets New Sri Lankan Leadership to Strengthen Ties

The Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Santosh Jha, met with the new Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya to discuss fortifying the bilateral relationship. This comes ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's planned visit, marking the first foreign ministerial visit since the recent presidential election.

The Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Santosh Jha, on Wednesday officially met with newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

They discussed the upward trajectory of the India-Sri Lanka partnership and explored ways to strengthen their longstanding friendship, according to an official statement.

Jha also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi during his meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at her office.

Significantly, Jha was the first foreign envoy to meet Dissanayake following his election as president of the island nation.

These meetings precede the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Colombo. His visit will be the first by a foreign minister after last month's presidential election, where he plans to meet with President Dissanayake.

(With inputs from agencies.)