Having arrived in Sri Lanka early on Thursday, and been welcomed by the leading dignitaries of the island nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on to address the Lankan parliament on Friday.
Here are the some of the points made by him:
- We have issues of identity, inclusion in diversity
- We have common civilisation needs
- There is extraordinary intellectual heritage in Sri Lanka
- We have to heal hearts of all sections of society
- Lanka can be our strongest economic partner
- Marvel at our rich diversity and commonalities
- Bring lessons from the 'Land of Bodh Gaya'
- Conscious of Sri Lanka's rich history
- Both countries share a common message of peace
- Convinced future of any country is influenced by its neighbours
Earlier in the day, Modi announced a slew of measures to boost bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, including energy cooperation and visa on arrival for tourists while underlining that the "complex" fishermen row needed a long-term solution, reports IANS.
In a statement after talks with President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi said an MoU in customs signed would help address Colombo's concerns on trade imbalance. He said it would simplify trade and reduce non-tariff barriers on both sides.
Modi is the first Indian prime minister to pay a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka after 1987.
