External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka on Friday for what will be the first high-level engagement between the two countries following the election of Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the president of the island nation.
”In keeping with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit,” the Ministry of External Affairs said while announcing the visit. The visit provides India an opportunity to reiterate its commitment to the ”Neighbourhood First” policy to the new leader of Sri Lanka.
India is confident that relations with the islan nation will continue to gain momentum even under the new president in the neighbouring country, a Marxist. Mr Jaishankar’s meeting with the Sri Lankan president assumes significance since this will be the first visit by any foreign minister after the presidential election in that country.