COLOMBO: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Sajith Premadasa, Sri Lanka’s leader of the opposition from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party. Jaishankar, who is here on a day-long visit, is the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the National People’s Power (NPP) government led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power on September 23.
Premadasa, the leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, is the son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa.
“Good to see SJB leader @sajithpremadasa in Colombo today. Appreciate his continued support for the India-Sri Lanka relationship,” Jaishankar posted on X along with the photos from the meeting.
Premadasa termed Jaishankar’s visit important for “supporting our mutual interests for regional development.”
“Great to meet @DrSJaishankar during his visit to Sri Lanka. As he often says, ‘A strong and prosperous neighbourhood is in everyone’s interest.’ We look forward to India’s continued fullest support in advancing Sri Lanka’s stability and growth while supporting our mutual interests for regional development,” he posted on X.
Jaishankar met President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and his counterpart Vijitha Herath before meeting Premadasa.