PM Modi meets Lankan Prez, discusses fishermen row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena during the Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) 2016 here on Sunday during which they discussed the fishermen issue besides others matters of strategic importance.

"The Prime Minister thanked Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena for participating in the BRICS- BIMSTEC outreach and said that participation of all leaders of BIMSTEC will give new strength to BIMSTEC and will help explore its energies with the BRICS countries," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

"The Sri Lankan President was happy to be in India. Once again he said this is another occasion when bonds between India and Sri Lanka are further strengthened. He alluded to the long-term relationship between the two countries," he added.

Swarup said the two leaders also reviewed the development cooperation and partnership between India and Sri Lanka.

"President Sirisena thanked Prime Minister Modi for gifting of the ambulances and said he hoped this would be extended to other provinces of Sri Lanka as well. They also discussed the thorny issue of the fishermen. President Sirisena said that he wanted a firm solution to the issue of the fishermen, Prime Minster agreed with him," he added.

The MEA spokesperson further said India has invited the Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister to visit the country so that a solution is reached on the fishermen issue.

Swarup further said that Prime Minister Modi briefed President Sirisena on the Uri terrorist attack who opposed terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

"He said that the support that Sri Lanka had provided to India, the grief of India that has been shared by Sri Lanka he expresses gratitude for that. And he said as the result of the solidarity that the countries and the region had shown after the Uri terrorist attack, a message had gone across that people in our region want peace and they recognise that the biggest challenge to peace and prosperity is terrorism," said Swarup.

"They also reviewed bilateral cooperation in a whole host of areas such as energy health. The President thanked the Prime Minister for all the projects that India in implementing in Sri Lanka," he added.