Prime Minister commences three-day official visit to India

Sept 14, 2015 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will begin a three-day visit to India on Monday, his first international visit after taking office as prime minister.

Wickremesinghe is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and President Pranab Mukherjee. The visit signifies the new government's wish that India plays a role in the economic and political program of the new government. A free trade agreement may come up in the discussion, although Minister of Strategic Development and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama said that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement would not be part of his agenda in New Delhi. The United Nations Human Rights Council has finalised its report on the war between the government and Tamil Tigers, which will brought up at the regular session of the UNHRC beginning in Geneva this week.

The report, which was due to be presented in March this year, has been delayed to give more time to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide their inputs on a domestic mechanism promoting reconciliation and accountability.

There is international goodwill for a domestic mechanism promoting reconciliation, and Wickremesinghe is expected to explain his government's position to India, media reports said.