Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Jaishankar, thanks India for supporting Sri Lanka

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday held discussions on a range of issues with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and thanked New Delhi for helping Colombo amid the country’s economic mess.

Also read: Sri Lanka economic crisis: Unprecedented poverty grips nation

Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as the Prime Minister in May last year amid massive street protests in the country which ultimately forced his brother and then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.

“Had successful discussions with Jaishankar and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest,” Mahinda Rajapaksa tweeted.

“Also thanked the Indian government for its steadfast commitment in assisting Sri Lanka during its troubled times and the strong ties shared between Sri Lanka and India,” he said.

Jaishankar visit

Jaishankar on Friday ended a two-day visit to Sri Lanka after reiterating India’s strong commitment to help Colombo regain social and economic stability.

Also read: Amid economic crisis, Sri Lanka to cut military strength by half by 2030

Mahinda Rajapaksa served as the President in Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. He was the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2005, in 2018 and again from 2019 to 2022.