Minister's visit strengthen bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka

The bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have greatly diversified with passage of time and are poised to develop further in an all round manner, the visiting External Affairs Minister of India S. M. Krishna said Friday.


 Addressing media following the 7th Meeting of the Joint Commission with his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof. G. L. Peiris, the Indian Minister said the Joint Commission discussions covered all areas of bilateral relevance, including trade, services and investment, development cooperation, science and technology, culture and education.
Earlier in the day Krishna met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and participated in signing of the credit agreement for $416.39 million for the Northern Railway construction project. Work on the Northern Railway Line will commence soon with the inauguration scheduled for today, Krishna said.
The visiting Minister has said that the Joint Commission discussions held with Minister Peiris were very useful and productive.
The two ministers have witnessed the exchange of Instruments of Ratification of the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners and of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.
Opening of Indian Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna is a significant milestone in the quest for building a vibrant and multi-faceted partnership between the two countries, Krishna said.
"It is important that we leverage our common [...]