Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa embarks on 4-day state visit to India

Colombo, Feb 7 (PTI) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday embarked on a four-day state visit to India where he would hold talks on a number of key areas including tre, defence and maritime security cooperation.

visit, beginning February 7, is Rajapaksa senior's first overseas trip since his bror Gotabaya was elected President in vember.

Prime Minister Mahinda left for India a short while ago on a four-day state visit on invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Daily Mirror newspaper reported. He will have meetings with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

" scheduled meetings will build on strong relationship that alrey exists between two countries," Mahinda's office said in a statement on Thursday.

Mahinda hopes to finalise implementation of USD 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in vember, according to statement.

"With aim of enhancing engment in sub-regional maritime security cooperation, two delegations are expected to discuss key areas under defence and maritime security initiatives that include Sri Lanka-India annual defence dialogue and trilateral maritime security cooperation with India and Maldives," it said.

Rajapaksa also intends to visit religious sites of Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Tirupathi, it said.

Two Tamil ministers in Rajapaksa government -- Douglas Devananda from rth and Armugam Thondaman from central tea plantation districts -- are expected to be in 10-member delegation, statement ded. PTI CPS

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