Narendra Modi departs from Mauritius; heads to Sri Lanka
March 13, 2015
From G Sudhakar Nair
Port Louis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight left the Mauritian capital for his historic visit to Sri Lanka, the final stop of his three-nation tour of Indian Ocean island nations.
Modi, who will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Lanka in 28 years, will tomorrow hold summit talks with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who was in India last month on his first foreign trip after assuming office in January.
Modi will be in Sri Lanka on the third and final leg of his five-day three-nation tour.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Lanka is considered to be an opportunity to further strengthen all aspects of the bilateral relationship.
His trip to Sri Lanka will be the first standalone prime ministerial visit to the island nation since 1987.
“I see this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen our relationship in all its dimensions ? political, strategic, economic, cultural, and above all, people to people contacts,” Modi had said in a pre-departure statement at the beginning of his three-nation visit.
Modi will also address Sri Lankan Parliament during his visit. He will be the first Indian Prime Minister and only the second foreign leader after British Premier David Cameron to visit Jaffna in the war-ravaged Northern province, where he will hand over homes built with the help of Indian assistance.
Some 20,000 such homes were built in Jaffna described by India as “a flagship cooperation project currently in Sri Lanka”.
Modi was the chief guest at Mauritius’ 47th National Day celebrations today and also addressed the Parliament here besides commissioning an India-built naval patrol vessel for Mauritius.
PTI
Related Stories
PM returns home after three-nation tour
Narendra Modi performs 'Dana' at Mahabodhi Society in Sri Lanka
Modi to inaugurate rail track destroyed in Lankan civil war
PM leaves on 3-nation tour on Tuesday, in Lanka on Mar 13-14
I am not helpless minister, but very influential: Sushma
Narendra Modi leaves on 3-nation tour tomorrow
Chinese firms will no longer get preferential treatment:Sri Lanka
Narendra Modi to pay tribute to fallen IPKF soldiers
PM heads to Seychelles, Mauritius, Lanka; tour begins March 10
Modi to visit Jaffna, address Parliament during Lanka visit
Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanka in March, could go to Jaffna
India, Sri Lanka ink civil nuclear pact, agree to expand defence ties
Modi to visit Germany, France, China, Russia in coming months
Singapore President to arrive in India this Sunday, Sri Lankan President on February 15
After Mauritius, India to export warships to Sri Lanka
Recent Stories
- Ahmedabad Airport opens expanded departure space in terminal 2
- ACB Gujarat arrests Range Forest Officer and his aide in bribe case
- ACB Gujarat nabs PSI in bribery case in Ahmedabad
- Girnar Ropeway ticket fare hiked
- ACB Gujarat nabs AMC cleaning staff in bribery case
- Laxmi Vilas Palace Vadodara to host PM Modi, PM Sanchez on Oct 28; Meeting, Luncheon in Eugenie Hall
- Official note on PM Modi's visit to Gujarat on 28th October