Swaraj winds up her two-day Sri Lanka visit

Discusses projects by govt in Sri Lanka with Sirisena; holds talks with TNA leaders

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today wound-up her two-day visit to Sri Lanka with a call on President Maithripala Sirisena and a meeting with TNA leaders when they discussed the reconciliation process.

A day after Swaraj co-chaired the 9th Indo-Lanka Joint Commission meeting here along with her Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera, she had an "excellent meeting" with President Sirisena.

"The President recalled the very warm ties that exist between the two countries build on civilisational links of thousands of years," Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Y K Sinha said.

During an hour-long meeting, the two leaders discussed various projects undertaken by India in Sri Lanka and decisions taken during the previous high-level visits.

"They expressed satisfaction at the progress in various projects undertaken by India in Sri Lanka and the President thanked India for its assistance," Sinha said.

"President Sirisena briefed the minister on development on regional and international issues. They discussed a host of issues," he said.

The two leaders also reviewed the progress made at the joint commission meeting. The joint commission was set up in 1992 as a mechanism to address issues of bilateral cooperation.

Swaraj later met former president Chandrika Bhandaranaike Kumaratunga and discussed the state of bilateral ties.

She also inaugurated the 'Rise of Digital India Exhibition' here as part of the first Festival of India in Sri Lanka, which is aptly titled -- 'Sangam: a confluence of cultures'.

At the inauguration ceremony, Swaraj said India was ready to set up an IT park in the country that could attract investments in this growing sector.

She later also met leaders of Sri Lanka's main Tamil party TNA led by its chief R Sampanthan, who briefed her about the efforts made by the government in moving forward the reconciliation process with the minority community.

The Tamil National Alliance leaders apprised the minister on the "various efforts that have been made by the government since January last year in moving forward the reconciliation process, the political process and expressed readiness to work with the government in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka," Sinha said.

Swaraj also met Eastern Province chief minister Nazir Ahmad and leaders of Sri Lankan Muslim Congress and discussed various issues.

Later, she met leaders of Tamil Progressive Alliance and Ceylon Workers Congress, an Indian-origin Tamil party, before heading home.

Sri Lankan government has made efforts for reconciliation since taking over power last year. It has also begun drafting a new Constitution aimed at resolving the ethnic conflict and achieving reconciliation with Tamils so that there is no repeat of the nearly three decades-long civil war which ended in 2009 and claimed 100,000 lives.