Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday met his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof. G.L. Peiris in Rwanda and discussed India’s crucial support for the crisis-hit nation.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the CHOGM Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

Jaishankar’s meeting with Peiris took place hours after a four-member delegation led by Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met Sri Lanka’s top leadership, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo and assured them that India stands ready to help the country’s quick economic recovery through promoting investments, connectivity and strengthening economic linkage.

“A neighbours’ meeting with Prof. G.L. Peiris, FM of Sri Lanka on the margins of the Commonwealth Summit. Talked about Commonwealth issues as well as India’s support for Sri Lanka at this time,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris is representing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place in Kigali, Rwanda from 21 to 25 June 2022.  The CHOGM in Rwanda is attended by the fifty-four Member States of the Commonwealth.

The Indian delegation which visited Colombo first met President Rajapaksa.

“Both sides had a productive exchange of views on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka as well as India’s ongoing support,” the High Commission of India in Colombo said in a press release.

The delegation later met with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the two sides had an in-depth discussion on the Sri Lankan economy and efforts undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka towards achieving economic recovery.

“In this context, both sides highlighted the importance of promoting India-Sri Lanka investment partnership including in the fields of infrastructure, connectivity, renewable energy and deepening economic linkages between the two countries,” the release said.

During the meetings, the Indian delegation underscored that the unprecedented recent economic, financial and humanitarian assistance of over USD 3.5 billion to the people of Sri Lanka was guided by ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

-With inputs from agencies