Dissanayake to visit India in first overseas trip as Sri Lanka president: Report

Anura Kumara Dissanayake is likely to visit India for discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first foreign trip since being elected the president of Sri Lanka, a newspaper reported on Friday (October 4).

Dissanayake is expected to accept an invitation to visit New Delhi to be extended by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who flew into Colombo on Friday, the Daily Mirror reported.

Jaishankar is the first high-ranking foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka after Dissanayake won the presidential election on September 21.

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India-Sri Lanka relations

The Indian High Commission in Colombo said that in keeping with India’s "neighbourhood first" policy, Jaishankar's visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen their longstanding partnership.

The daily said Jaishankar was expected to discuss Indian-funded projects in Sri Lanka and their path forward.

Jaishankar to invite Dissanayake

Jaishankar will then extend an official visit to President Dissanayake to visit New Delhi for discussions as it has been the norm with earlier Sri Lankan leaderships.

“It is learnt that Dissanayake will uphold this norm by visiting New Delhi first,” the newspaper said.

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Jaishankar to meet SL PM

A visit to India will only take place after the November 14 parliamentary elections, it said.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar is expected to also pay courtesy calls on new Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and foreign minister Vijitha Herath.