Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. (File photo)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived here on Friday on a five-day visit during which he will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to explore ways to further boost bilateral ties.
After his official engagement in Delhi, Rajapaksa will travel to Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya and Tirupati.
I will be in Delhi on a state visit, meeting my good friend PM @narendramodi, the President, the External Affairs Minister & other govt.officials. Looking forward to building new avenues of cooperation with this visit & strengthening the already existing ties between our nations.
— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) February 7, 2020
A host of issues, including fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, the situation in the Indian Ocean Region and ways to boost defence and trade ties, are expected to figure in the talks between Modi and the Sri Lankan prime minister.
President Gotabaya Rajpaksa visited India in November which was his first official overseas trip after taking charge of the top office.