President Gotabaya Rajapaksa meets Indian President Ram Nath Kovind

Colombo (News 1st): President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was given a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi this morning. The President was awarded a military guard of honour after he was greeted by his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind. While congratulating the new President of Sri Lanka, the Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said the meeting marks a milestone in a strong friendship between the two countries & commended the new vision of governance introduced by President Rajapaksa and pledged his country’s fullest cooperation towards Sri Lanka. According to the President's media division, President Rajapaksa had said during his tenure as president, he wishes to bring the relationship between India and Sri Lanka to a very high level. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa then met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the latter's Hydrabad residence in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, he was happy to receive President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his first overseas visit as the President of Sri Lanka. The tweet went on to note, Rajapaksa's visit is a testimony to the time-tested ties between India and Sri Lanka and will help strengthen bonds as well as energize partnership.

Happy to receive @GotabayaR on his first overseas visit as the President of Sri Lanka.

His visit is a testimony to the time-tested ties between India and Sri Lanka and will help strengthen our bonds as well as energise our partnership. pic.twitter.com/siMQzFpuDk — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 29, 2019

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also met Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. While expressing his hopes this visit will further cement the long-standing relationship between Sri Lanka and India as neighbouring countries, the Indian Foreign Minister pledged his government’s fullest cooperation to the new Sri Lankan government. The Indian Foreign Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi expects to take Indo – Lanka relations towards a new era with a rejuvenated approach to enhance economic development for mutual benefits. Commenting on the business cooperation between the two countries, the Indian Minister said quality governance is a prerequisite for sound collaboration adding this will facilitate the influx of foreign investment. Meanwhile, the President paid floral tributes to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial this evening.