Ranil’s visit to New Delhi on Moragoda’s agenda

Continuing his engagement with key officials of the Government of India, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda met with the Principal Secretary to the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra at the Prime Minister’s Office, Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi said.

The meeting between the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka was held in a very cordial manner, and a range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relationship was discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda also followed-up with Principal Secretary Mishra the invitation Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended to President Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit New Delhi.

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked Dr. Mishra for the support India has been extending to Sri Lanka in the context of the present economic crisis. The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, while recalling India’s historical and deep ties with Sri Lanka, stated that it was India’s duty to help its neighbour when it faced a crisis.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner also stressed the vital role that India could play in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery phase through tourism. The discussion focused on the ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector, including at the State level, using the MoU signed between Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat in 2009 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and High Commissioner Moragoda was the Tourism Minister of Sri Lanka, as a template.

During the past few weeks, High Commissioner Moragoda also met with several other key officials of the Government of India, including Finance Secretary T.V. Somanathan, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Chairman of the NITI Aayog Parameswaran Iyer.

A cabinet rank official, Dr. Mishra has been serving as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since September 2019.