Colombo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar landed in Sri Lanka on June 20, his first visit here in his second consecutive term in office, during which he will hold talks with the country's leadership to strengthen bilateral ties. The minister was received by Tharaka Balasuriya, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Senthil Thondaman, Governor of the Eastern Province, on his arrival in Colombo.
Highlighting that Sri Lanka is central to India's Neighborhood First and SAGAR policies, Dr Jaishankar said on X: "Landed in Colombo for my first visit in the new term. Thank Minister of State @TharakaBalasur1 and Governor of Eastern province @S_Thondaman for the warm welcome. Look forward to my meetings with the leadership".
SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is India's vision and geopolitical framework of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Under its 'Neighborhood First' policy, India is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbors.
"The visit will add momentum to connectivity projects and other mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors," the Ministry of External Affairs said. The visit comes as President Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka needs to connect with India to reap the benefits of its massive industrial development.
The president said he was hopeful of discussing with Jaishankar about the follow-up on his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India. Wickremesinghe was among seven top leaders from India's neighborhood and the Indian Ocean region who attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi and the Union Council of Ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 9.
