<p>Colombo: External Affairs Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/s-jaishankar">S Jaishankar</a> arrived here on Friday on a day-long visit to meet with the Sri Lankan leadership, less than a fortnight after <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/anura-kumara-dissanayake">Anura Kumara Dissanayake</a> was sworn in as the president of the island nation.</p>.<p>"Good to be in Colombo again. Look forward to my engagements with the Sri Lankan leadership today," Jaishankar posted on X soon after his landing at the Colombo airport.</p>.<p>Jaishankar is the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the National People’s Power (NPP) government led by Dissanayake came to power on September 23.</p>.<p>He was received at the airport by Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardena and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.</p>.The Tamils and the new President of Sri Lanka.<p>Jaishankar is expected to call on President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, officials here said.</p>.<p>During his visit, the minister is expected to further cement the bilateral relationship with the new NPP government in Colombo, they said.</p>.<p>Jaishankar is also set to discuss the Indian projects in Sri Lanka, underscoring their significance in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, the officials said.</p>.<p>While in Opposition, Dissanayake had expressed his reservations about some of the Indian projects, especially on the sustainable energy projects run by the Adani Group.</p>.<p>In the run up to the election, Dissanayake had pledged to annul those projects if voted to power, claiming that the projects were inimical to Sri Lankan interests.</p>.<p>Ahead of his departure, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi on Thursday said that Jaishankar will meet with the Sri Lankan leadership during his visit to Colombo.</p>.<p>"In keeping with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit," it said.</p>.<p>In February, Jaishankar had invited Dissanayake to New Delhi for a familiarisation visit, officials here said. </p>
<p>Colombo: External Affairs Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/s-jaishankar">S Jaishankar</a> arrived here on Friday on a day-long visit to meet with the Sri Lankan leadership, less than a fortnight after <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/anura-kumara-dissanayake">Anura Kumara Dissanayake</a> was sworn in as the president of the island nation.</p>.<p>"Good to be in Colombo again. Look forward to my engagements with the Sri Lankan leadership today," Jaishankar posted on X soon after his landing at the Colombo airport.</p>.<p>Jaishankar is the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the National People’s Power (NPP) government led by Dissanayake came to power on September 23.</p>.<p>He was received at the airport by Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardena and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.</p>.The Tamils and the new President of Sri Lanka.<p>Jaishankar is expected to call on President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, officials here said.</p>.<p>During his visit, the minister is expected to further cement the bilateral relationship with the new NPP government in Colombo, they said.</p>.<p>Jaishankar is also set to discuss the Indian projects in Sri Lanka, underscoring their significance in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, the officials said.</p>.<p>While in Opposition, Dissanayake had expressed his reservations about some of the Indian projects, especially on the sustainable energy projects run by the Adani Group.</p>.<p>In the run up to the election, Dissanayake had pledged to annul those projects if voted to power, claiming that the projects were inimical to Sri Lankan interests.</p>.<p>Ahead of his departure, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi on Thursday said that Jaishankar will meet with the Sri Lankan leadership during his visit to Colombo.</p>.<p>"In keeping with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR outlook, the visit underlines the shared commitment of the two countries to further deepen the longstanding partnership for mutual benefit," it said.</p>.<p>In February, Jaishankar had invited Dissanayake to New Delhi for a familiarisation visit, officials here said. </p>