• By Shibra Siddiqui
  • Sat, 05 Apr 2025 08:47 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Colombo on Friday evening for a three-day visit to explore ways to strengthen the ties between the two nations, engaged with various members of the local community, from cultural leaders and musicians to academics. The leaders of the community expressed their gratitude for meeting with PM Modi. 

In a special welcome, the top five ministers of Sri Lanka received PM Modi at the airport when he landed there at 9 pm despite the rain. Sri Lanka's foreign affairs minister Vijitha Herath, health and mass media minister Nalinda Jayatissa, labour minister Anil Jayantha, fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, minister of women and child affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj and science and technology minister Chrishantha Abeysena arrived at the airport to receive PM Modi. 

Taking to the microblogging platform X, PM Modi expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome. Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programs in Sri Lanka,” PM Modi wrote on X. 

The prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time when the island nation is showing signs of recovery from economic stress. Three years ago, the country was reeling from a massive economic crisis, and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion.

Key Meetings On April 5

PM is expected to hold a vital meeting with dignitaries of Sri Lanka on April 5 (Today). 10 critical outcomes are anticipated from the meeting of PM Modi in Sri Lanka, including boosting cooperation in areas of defence, energy, security and digitalisation. 

Talking to a news agency ANI, about meeting with PM Modi, the Sri Lanka RSS leader said, "We are meeting him for the first time. We are really happy he came to Sri Lanka. He is our Guru Ji..." 

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A Sri Lankan musician said, "...I have learnt music in Lucknow for nine years... Prime Minister shook hands with me and he told me to keep on doing Riyaz..." ANI reported. 

The prime minister landed in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his two-day trip to Bangkok, where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). 

During his visit to Thailand, PM Modi engaged with Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Nepal's PM KP Sharma Oli, Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, and Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra.