Sri Lanka’s newly elected president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is on a 3-day visit to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Addressing a joint presser after the meet, Rajapaksa said that he would strive to take Sri Lanka’s bilateral relationship with India to a ‘very high level’.
Rajapaksa said, “During my tenure as president, I want to bring the relationship between India and Sri Lanka to a very high level. We have a long-standing relationship historically as well as politically.”
Focusing on counter-terrorism strategy, Prime Minister Modi said that India will be extending a $50million line of credit to Sri Lanka to fight terrorism. He further said, “$400 million line of credit to be extended to Sri Lanka to strengthen its economy. Under Indian housing project, 46,000 houses have already been made in Sri Lanka. 14,000 houses further being made for Tamil origin people. $100 million credit line given for solar projects.”
The Sri Lankan President also announced release of all Indian fishermen’s boats in Sri Lanka custody.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in India on Thursday for a three-day visit. He stormed to victory in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections. He is known as Sri Lanka’s controversial former Defence chief who played a leading role in ruthlessly ending nearly 30-year civil war with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).