Dec 12, 2019 (LBO) – Newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is to arrive Sri Lanka today for a three-day official visit to discuss the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy with the new Sri Lankan leadership.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Relations said the visiting Minister will meet with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena at the Ministry tomorrow.
He is also scheduled to pay courtesy calls on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. This will be Motegi’s first visit to Sri Lanka since the September Cabinet reshuffle.
Meanwhile, Japan and India held their first 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting on 30 November in New Delhi and affirmed to further enhance the strategic depth of bilateral security and defence cooperation.
Speaking in New Delhi, Motegi emphasized that Japan and India shared the view on deepening cooperation on various projects in neighboring countries, including Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister Motegi is to make a five-day trip to Moscow next week to hold peace treaty talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.