Modi may visit SL en route to Malé

During the first overseas visit in his second term, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may stop by at Sri Lanka on his way to or back from the Maldives in early June, LiveMint India reported yesterday. 

It said while Modi’s visit to the Maldives would underscore the primacy of neighbours and India’s neighbourhood in foreign policy, the brief stop in Sri Lanka was expected to convey India’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in the wake of the Easter Sunday attacks. PM Modi is expected to visit the Maldives on June 7-8. The Indian Foreign Ministry is yet to confirm the visit but news reports from Malé said the premier would tour the Maldives in early June and address its Parliament.

According to people familiar with the developments, PM Modi could either stop by at Colombo on his way to or return from Malé. The aim is to express solidarity with the Sri Lankan people and that New Delhi would be supportive of Colombo in its fight against terrorism.

New Delhi had sent warnings to Sri Lanka prior to the attacks that shattered a decade of peace in the country that was previously embroiled in a three-decade long civil war.