PM invites Maithri for a visit at the earliest opportunity

Saturday, 10 January 2015 03:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended an invitation to Sri Lanka’s new President Maithripala Sirisena to visit India at the earliest opportunity. The official Spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said at the press briefing today that India is proud

of Sri Lanka’s democratic process and India’s leader was among the first to congratulate about island nation’s elections. “India and Sri Lanka are close neighbors. Sri Lanka has a tradition of democratic change and we as their neighbor are proud of this tradition as a democracy. So this morning when Sri Lanka voted for a change yesterday and the results started trickling out, our leadership was amongst the first to congratulate Sri Lanka about the conclusion of their democratic exercise,” Akbaruddin said. India’s High Commissioner was the first foreign envoy to call on the new President. Responding to questions about future of India-Sri Lanka relations with a new government in Colombo, the spokesperson said the Prime Minister Modi has assured of India’s cooperation for warm relations with Sri Lanka. He said the PM first called up the President-elect and subsequently has also written a letter to the President-elect about the warm relations that exist between India and Sri Lanka. “He has wished him success. He has assured him of India’s cooperation and he has also invited him to visit India at the earliest opportunity. This is symbolic of our relationship with our close neighbor Sri Lanka,” the Spokesperson said.