SL welcomes people’s verdict in India

16 May 2014 08:42 am

Sri Lanka today welcomed verdict of people of India to elect Bharathiya Janatha Party government at the recently concluded general election there, Indian media reported.

Sri Lankan envoy Prasad Kariyawasam was one of the first foreign representatives to respond to BJP's victory. “Sri Lanka welcomes the verdict of people of India. Soon President Rajapaksa will warmly welcome and greet the incoming PM of India", he said.

Meanwhile speaking to IANS, the outgoing Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the UPA government has done “outstanding work” in the field of foreign policy and is leaving India’s relations “in fairly good condition” that the future government can look forward to.

On India’s relations with neighbours, Khurshid said there were “difficult conditions operating in countries in the neighbourhood”, in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

"As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, the issue about accountability etc. has not yet settled. There are a host of issues, but these are not issues that are going to be wished away... They are important for us, they are important for them. But the point is they should not damage our relations, and that we’ve been able to do.” On ties with Colombo, Khurshid said the Prime Minister not attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Summit last November has not affected ties.

“Our relations remain intact. We are actually discussing nuclear areas as well. Our discussions with them, the cooperation they have extended in every sphere... our tourism is exceeding all previous bounds, investment both ways is increasing -– where the alternative was a complete breakdown of relations. But there are issues on both sides, and we need to resolve them... they can’t be wished away. There are no magic solutions.”