India-Sri Lanka Bonhomie As PM Modi Dials Mahinda Rajapaksa To Congratulate Him On Landslide Victory

In a telephonic conversation, PM Modi commended the government and the electoral institutions of Sri Lanka for effectively organising the elections despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and congratulated him on the successful conduct of parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka yesterday. In a telephonic conversation, PM Modi commended the government and the electoral institutions of Sri Lanka for effectively organising the elections despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the statement released by the PM office, Modi appreciated the enthusiastic citizens of Sri Lanka who showed their active participation in the elections, and said that this reflected the strong democratic values shared by both countries.

Thank you, Prime Minister @PresRajapaksa! It was a pleasure to speak to you. Once again, many congratulations. We will work together to further advance all areas of bilateral cooperation and to take our special ties to ever newer heights. https://t.co/123ahoxlMo

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2020

Further in his conversation with Mahinda Rajapaksa, 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 Mahinda Rajapaksa in this regard. Reacting to Modi's call, Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked him for his regards and said that he looks forward to working with him closely to further enhance the long-standing cooperation between our two countries. 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. Prime Minister informed 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. Post phone call, PM once again congratulated the Sri Lankan Prime Minister in his twitter post saying that the two neighbouring countries will work together to further advance all areas of bilateral cooperation and to take special ties to ever newer heights.

Thank you, Prime Minister @PresRajapaksa! It was a pleasure to speak to you. Once again, many congratulations. We will work together to further advance all areas of bilateral cooperation and to take our special ties to ever newer heights. https://t.co/123ahoxlMo

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2020

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.