India assures its help to SL in all sectors

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Sri Lanka that India’s cooperation with Sri Lanka in all sectors will be given highest priority.

The Indian Premier made this remark during meeting with visiting Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Prof. GL Peiris in New Delhi, the Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry said in a statement today.

Prof. Peiris who is currently in New Delhi in connection with the 8th Session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission called on the Indian Prime Minister yesterday. Minister Peiris conveyed the greetings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Prime Minister Singh. Recalling President MahindaRajapaksa’s recent visit to India in September 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requested Minister Peiris to convey his warm personal regards to the President and assured Minister Peiris that India’s cooperation with Sri Lanka in all sectors is accorded highest priority.

Welcoming Minister Peiris to India, Prime Minister Singh expressed satisfaction at the very productive Joint Commission session between the two countries and stressed the importance of meetings of the nature of the Joint Commission in strengthening the bilateral partnership between India and Sri Lanka in all sectors including economic, trade and security. The Prime Minister appreciated several initiatives and projects by all stakeholders to increase bilateral trade and investment as well as people-to-people contact, the statement said.

Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs K. Amunugama and High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam were associated with Minister Peiris at the meeting while National Security Advisor ShivshankarMenon, Foreign Secretary RanjanMathai and High Commissioner Ashok Kantha were associated with Prime Minister Singh at the meeting.