Rajapaksa briefs Modi on Lanka's initiatives to reconcile

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sri Lanka's initiatives to achieve reconciliation with the minority Tamil community, as they held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi on a host of issues.

During the meeting both sides tried to understand the common challenges and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in key areas.

"President Rajapaksa described the initiatives Sri Lanka has taken with regard to rehabilitation, resettlement, reconstruction and the ongoing reconciliation process in the country," the President's Office here said in a statement.

The two leaders also discussed the issue of fishermen of both countries and measures that can be taken to find a permanent solution through a process in which the views of fishermen from both countries can be taken into consideration, it said.

"Both agreed that talks between the fishermen and the meeting of the joint committee of officials must continue," the statement said.

Rajapaksa, welcoming the views expressed by Prime Minister Modi, stated that India's leadership is crucial for the success of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ventures and Sri Lanka looks forward to working with India in taking forward SAARC operations.

Prime Minister Modi expressed the view that SAARC must focus on common issues that can benefit the region and reflect our concerns on a global platform, the statement said.

Rajapaksa was invited along with other SAARC leaders for Modi's swearing-in ceremony held on Monday.

The LTTE was defeated in a military campaign in 2009, ending a nearly three decades-long civil war in the country.