India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has met Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the first such visit of a dignitary since a new government took office in the island nation last month,

Earlier, Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had said that the nation does not wish to be sandwiched, especially between China and India, indicating a strong and independent approach on his foreign policy.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s discussions with the Sri Lankan leadership covered India’s security interests, the persisting fisheries conflict, as well as the pending political settlement of Sri Lanka’s Tamils,

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent visit to Sri Lanka emphasised India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, building on its Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) outlook.

The Marxist lawmaker who won Sri Lanka’s presidency faces a key challenge in how to balance ties with his country’s two most crucial partners, India and China, as he seeks to draw foreign investment and pull the economy out of the doldrums.

India offered $20M in credit lines to Sri Lanka, potentially as a grant, during External Affairs Minister Jaishankar's first visit post-election.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met the newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his visit to Colombo and discussed ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties for the benefit of the people of the two countries and the region.

Jaishankar is the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the National People’s Power government led by Dissanayake came to power on September 23.