President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a state visit to India from 15 to 17 December 2024 at the invitation of the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, the foreign ministry confirmed today. 

This is the first overseas visit undertaken by the President after his assumption of office.

During the visit, President Dissanayake is scheduled to meet the Indian President Smt. Droupadi Murmu and hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian dignitaries on a range of issues of mutual interest.

The visit will further advance and consolidate the long-standing relations between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said President Disanayaka will also participate in a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka. Further, he will visit Bodh Gaya as part of the visit.

Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a central place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the statement said.