Modi congratulates PM for successful conduct of polls

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today congratulating him on the successful conduct of parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka yesterday, a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.

Indian Prime Minister also commended the government and the electoral institutions of Sri Lanka for effectively organising the elections despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also appreciated the Sri Lankan people for their enthusiastic participation in the elections, and said that this reflected the strong democratic values shared by both countries.

Prime Minister  Modi noted that the incoming results of the elections indicate an impressive electoral performance by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, and conveyed his congratulations and best wishes to Premier Rajapaksa in this regard.

“Recalling their cordial and fruitful previous interactions, the two leaders reiterated their shared commitment to strengthen the age-old and multi-dimensional India-Sri Lanka relationship. They stressed the significance of early progress in all spheres of bilateral cooperation.” Ministry said.

Indian Prime Minister informed Prime Minister Rajapaksa about the establishment of an international airport in the Buddhist pilgrimage city of Kushinagar in India, and said that the city looked forward to welcoming visitors from Sri Lanka at an early date.

The leaders agreed to remain in close touch as both countries address the challenges posed by COVID 19 pandemic, and resolved to take bilateral relations to newer heights in the coming days.