Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits India on first foreign tour since assuming office

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in India on a three-day official visit, his first trip abroad after he assumed office last month.

It is being seen as an attempt by Sri Lanka to reassure India’s concerns of growing Chinese strategic presence in the island nation. The issue of frequent clashes over fishermen and conclusion of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) are expected to be on the agenda.

During his three-day visit from September 14 to 16, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and calling on President Pranab Mukherjee.

The frequent arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka will figure prominently as Mr. Wickremesinghe had earlier taken a tough stand on the issue and also created a controversy just before Mr. Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in March when he said Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters could be shot.

Ahead of Mr. Wickremesinghe’s departure to India, Sri Lanka on Sunday released 16 Indian fishermen as a gesture of goodwill.

Another issue that will figure prominently is the implementation of the 13th amendment which calls for devolution of powers to provinces

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Maithree being received by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday Sep 14,2015