“Soon after arrival, the Indian team held talks with Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo few minuets ago. The meeting was cordial and discussed the security situation in Colombo, it is learnt.”
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by Nilantha Ilangamuwa in Colombo
(June 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A high-powered Indian delegation headed by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan arrived here Friday morning. Accompanying Narayanan were Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh. The three officials between them virtually determine India's policy vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, starting with the 'ethnic issue' but not confined to it.
The three arrived by a special aircraft from New Delhi around 11.30 a.m. on a two-day visit, an Indian diplomat told the media. "Their visit is in connection with the forthcoming summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), opening in Colombo on August 1."
The Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, is the outgoing Chairman of SAARC. At the Colombo summit, he will hand over the baton to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Soon after arrival, the Indian team held talks with Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo few minuets ago. The meeting was cordial and discussed the security situation in Colombo, it is learnt.
"The delegation is scheduled to meet President Rajapakse and other key officials of the Sri Lankan Government," sources said, declining details. "Their visit is a part of the ongoing consultations between Sri Lanka and India on the current developments," the official said, in an obvious reference to the ethnic conflict raging in Sri Lanka.
There was no news alert ahead of the Indian team's arrival, which followed a visit. It followed a visit to New Delhi by Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, earlier in the week. Bogollagama was in India, to extend the customary invitation for Prime Minister Singh for the SAARC summit.
The Sri Lankan Government had invited the Indian Prime Minister to participate in the 60th anniversary celebrations of the National Day in February. The visit did not materialise at the time. Now it remains to be seen if Singh will undertake an 'official visit' for a couple days when he comes to Colombo for the summit.
The late Rajiv Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to undertake an official visit to Colombo in 1987, when he also signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement aimed at ending the 'ethnic war'. Before Singh, Prime Minister Vajpayee had visited Colombo in 1998. Vajpayee participated in the SAARC summit at the time, and did not undertake any 'official visit' to Sri Lanka at that time.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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by Nilantha Ilangamuwa in Colombo
(June 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A high-powered Indian delegation headed by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan arrived here Friday morning. Accompanying Narayanan were Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh. The three officials between them virtually determine India's policy vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, starting with the 'ethnic issue' but not confined to it.
The three arrived by a special aircraft from New Delhi around 11.30 a.m. on a two-day visit, an Indian diplomat told the media. "Their visit is in connection with the forthcoming summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), opening in Colombo on August 1."
The Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, is the outgoing Chairman of SAARC. At the Colombo summit, he will hand over the baton to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Soon after arrival, the Indian team held talks with Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo few minuets ago. The meeting was cordial and discussed the security situation in Colombo, it is learnt.
"The delegation is scheduled to meet President Rajapakse and other key officials of the Sri Lankan Government," sources said, declining details. "Their visit is a part of the ongoing consultations between Sri Lanka and India on the current developments," the official said, in an obvious reference to the ethnic conflict raging in Sri Lanka.
There was no news alert ahead of the Indian team's arrival, which followed a visit. It followed a visit to New Delhi by Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, earlier in the week. Bogollagama was in India, to extend the customary invitation for Prime Minister Singh for the SAARC summit.
The Sri Lankan Government had invited the Indian Prime Minister to participate in the 60th anniversary celebrations of the National Day in February. The visit did not materialise at the time. Now it remains to be seen if Singh will undertake an 'official visit' for a couple days when he comes to Colombo for the summit.
The late Rajiv Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to undertake an official visit to Colombo in 1987, when he also signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement aimed at ending the 'ethnic war'. Before Singh, Prime Minister Vajpayee had visited Colombo in 1998. Vajpayee participated in the SAARC summit at the time, and did not undertake any 'official visit' to Sri Lanka at that time.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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