New innings: Sri Lankan president Sirisena reaches India on a four-day visit

New Delhi: In his maiden foreign trip after assuming charge, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena arrived here today on a four-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Indian leadership on entire gamut of bilateral ties including ways to further enhance cooperation and the peace and reconciliation process in the island nation. The 63-year-old Sirisena, who had dethroned Mahinda Rajapaksa from his 10-year rule after a bitter presidential poll, has already indicated that he wants to have a closer relationship with India and chose it for his first foreign visit.[caption id=“attachment_2052861” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. AFP[/caption] The Sri Lankan president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks tomorrow during which they are likely to deliberate on all major issues such as devolution of power to the Tamil community and the sticky fishermen issue. India has been hoping that the new Lankan government will develop ties on the “foundation of genuine and effective reconciliation” creating harmony among all sections there. India has also been pressing for implementation of 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution. The amendment that followed the Indo-Sri Lankan  Accord of July 1987 signed between then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Sri Lankan president JR Jayewardene envisaged the devolution of powers to the provinces in the midst of the island’s bitter ethnic conflict. In the evening on Monday, Sirisena will meet President Pranab Mukherjee who will also host a banquet in the honour of his Sri Lankan counterpart. Sirisena is leading a delegation that includes Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Resettlement Minister DM Swaminathan, Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka and Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksha. The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister had visited India last month on his first foreign trip soon after assuming charge during which he held talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. In the meeting between Swaraj and Samaraweera, both sides agreed to re-engage on repatriation of refugees from India, besides holding talks on a raft of crucial issues, including political reconciliation process and the sticky fishermen issue. According to official figures, more than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees are in Tamil Nadu, out of which some 68,000 are housed in over 100 government-run camps. Last week, the spokesperson of the external affairs ministry had said both the countries were looking at “substantive talks”. The Sri Lankan president will travel to Buddhist pilgrimage site Bodh Gaya and the temple in Tirupati on 17 February before returning home on 18 February. PTI