EAM S Jaishankar to embark on 5- day visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka from today
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will be on a five-day official visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka from today to 30th of this month following the invitations of his counterparts from these two countries. Dr Jainshankar will first arrive in Maldives for a two-day visit. He would be visiting Addu city in Maldives during which he will call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hold discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
Dr Jaishankar’s visit will see the signing of several agreements related to the bilateral development cooperation, inauguration and handing-over and launch of a number of key India-supported projects that will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Maldives and enhance its security.
The External Affairs Minister three day visit to Sri Lanka from 28th March follows the visits to India by Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka, Basil Rajapaksa in December last year as well as earlier this month and that of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Prof. G.L.Peiris in February this year The bilateral meetings and interactions which Dr Jaishankar will have in Sri Lanka highlight the priority that Sri Lanka occupies for India.
During his stay in Sri Lanka, Dr Jaishankar will also participate in the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on 29th March in Colombo.
Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that both Maldives and Sri Lanka are India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy special place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ and Neighbourhood First. Dr Jaishankar’s visit is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its close and friendly relations with the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
