| President
Mahinda Rajapaksa concluded a successful visit to India
today (Nov. 29) with an hour-long meeting with the Indian
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The meeting with the Indian Prime
Minister at Hyderabad House was followed by a lunch
hosted by the Dr. Singh. Speaking to the media after
the meeting with the Indian Premier, President Rajapaksa
said there was a cordial and frank exchange of views
between Dr. Singh and himself on a wide range of matters
of mutual interest.
Earlier today, President Rajapaksa
met the Mr. L. K. Advani, the Leader of the Opposition
in the Lok Sabha, who is also the leader of the Bharatiya
Janatha Party (BJP) the largest party in opposition.
The President told Mr. Advani that his government was
fully committed to a negotiated solution to the ethnic
conflict in Sri Lanka. He also explained extent of violence
being carried out by the LTTE, and that the Government
had not retaliated until an LTTE suicide killer had
tried to assassinate the Army Commander in April this
year.
Mr. Advani reiterated support for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,
and said there would be no support for the LTTE. He
said his party was also supportive of a political solution
to the situation in Sri Lanka.
The Indian Minister of Tourism and
Cultural Affairs Shrimathi Ambiga Soni who called on
President Rajapaksa this morning explained the steps
being taken to bring the sacred relics of the Buddha
from Kapilavastu to Sri Lanka. She said that all steps
were being taken to bring the relics to Sri Lanka hopefully
in February next year.
The President and Minster Soni also
discussed the possibilities of mutual cooperation for
the development of tourism between the two countries.
The meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh today brought to an end the President's visit
to India from November 25.
President Rajapaksa came to India
to be the Chief Guest at the First Asian Mayors' Conference
held at Dehradun. While at Dehradun he also laid the
foundation stone for the Indo-Sri Lanka Human Rights
Centre for South Asia at the premises of the Rural Litigation
and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK).
Arriving in New Delhi on November
26, President had a busy schedule meeting the political
leaders including the External Affairs Minister Mr.
Pranab Mukherjee, the leader of the ruling UPA Smt.
Sonia Gandhi, the Indian Minister of Tourism and Cultural
Affairs, Smt. Ambiga Soni, and the Leader of the Opposition,
Mr. L. K. Advani.
Many aspects of cooperation
between India and Sri Lanka were discussed at these
meetings with Indian Ministers, including the Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries
that is in the final stages of negotiation.
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