EAM Jaishankar to Visit Sri Lanka on Friday, to Meet Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Colombo this Friday (October 4), marking it to be the first high-level meeting between the two countries since Sri Lanka's presidential elections. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will be meeting the new Lankan president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who assumed office last week.

In a statement issued on Thursday read, "External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka on 04 October 2024 and meet with the Sri Lankan leadership."

The statement further mentioned that this meeting will be kept given India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, underlining the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit.

This marks to be a crucial visit for India to reaffirm its commitment to development support for the strategically located Indian Ocean neighbour amid rising concerns over the realignment of its foreign policy. The meeting also aims to explore opportunities for cooperation in various sectors. Thus, reinforcing the strategic ties between the two nations.

This visit comes as India’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha was the first foreign diplomat to call and meet Dissanayake after the election outcome was announced.

This is the second time the leaders will be meeting. Earlier in February, Jaishankar met Anura Kumara Dissanayake while he was still in the opposition.

Additionally, in September India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval also visited Sri Lanka before the elections and held discussions with prominent presidential candidates, including Dissanayake.