NSA Ajit Doval calls on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

National Security visor Ajit Doval on Saturday called on Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and h a "productive" discussion with him on ways to diversify and deepen bilateral relationship.

Doval arrived here on Friday for a trilateral maritime dialogue among India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. He took part in dialogue, held after 6 years, along with Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Major Gen (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne and Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi on Saturday.

On first day of his visit, Doval met Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gunaratne and y agreed on several steps to furr strengn "valuable" cooperation between two countries which also contributes to peace and security in region.

He also called on Prime Minister and elder bror of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mahinda Rajapaksa asked senior Indian official for continued assistance to Sri Lanka in its bilateral help, prime minister's office said on Friday.

high-level trilateral meeting is designed to initiate collective action on maritime security including maritime domain awareness, legal regimes, train in search and rescue, maritime pollution response, information sharing, curbing piracy drugs arms, and contraband trafficking in Indian Ocean region.

This is Doval’s second official visit to Sri Lanka this year. In January, he visited island nation and discussed a range of bilateral issues, including strengning cooperation in defense, intelligence sharing, and maritime security with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)