PM Modi arrives in Colombo on two-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sri Lankan capital Colombo this morning from the Mauritian capital Port Louis.

He was received at the airport by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Modi is in Sri Lanka on the third and final leg of his five-day three-nation tour and is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka in 28 years.

He will be given ceremonial reception this morning, which will be followed by summit level talks with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. Delegation level talks will also be held today. A number of agreements and MoUs will be signed after the summit level talks.

The issue of Indian fishermen, safe and respectful repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees and cooperation in development of connectivity within the country and with neighbouring countries are likely to dominate the talks between the two leaders. Investment, trade, commerce, and energy and maritime security are also high on their agenda.

Mr. Modi will also address Sri Lankan Parliament later today. He will be the first Indian Prime Minister and only the second foreign leader after British Premier David Cameron to visit Jaffna in the 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.