President hosts dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister
May 12, 2017 12:19 am
President Maithripala Sirisena hosted a dinner in honour of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Sri Lanka to participate at the inauguration ceremony of the International Vesak Festival as the Chief Guest, at the President’s House in Colombo.
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly received by the President Sirisena when he arrived at the President’s House on Thursday (11).
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Leader of the Opposition, R. Sampanthan, Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Vigneswaran, Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Ravi Karunanayake, State Minister A.H.M. Fowzie and others participated in this event.
Prime Minister Modi and President Sirisena are understood to have reviewed the status of the bilateral relations, during their meeting in Colombo.
“Delighted to meet President @MaithripalaS in Colombo,” tweeted Modi, who arrived here earlier on a two-day visit aimed at reinforcing the traditional connect between India and Sri Lanka at a time when China is seeking to make inroads in the island nation.
“It is wonderful to meet this great human being @narendramodi in Colombo again. Thank you for gracing #InternationalVesakDay,” tweeted Srisena.
The Indian PM took part in a traditional lamp lighting ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Colombo as part of the International Vesak Day celebrations.
Modi, on his second visit to Sri Lanka in two years, is here primarily to participate tomorrow in the International Vesak Day celebrations, the biggest festival of Buddhists. He will inaugurate a hospital built with India’s assistance of Rs 150 crore.
The Indian prime minister will also pray at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.
Meanwhile Narendra Modi also received Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at his request, according to the Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
-Agencies
