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India reassures Sri Lanka to be close ally

Xinhua, February 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

India on Wednesday reassured Sri Lanka that it would be a close friend and the strong bonds shared between both countries would be unbreakable, the foreign ministry said in a statement here.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while congratulating the newly elected government and the country's citizens for its 67th Independence Day, said in his message that he looked forward to a visit by Sri Lanka's President, Maithripala Sirisena at the end of the month.

President Sirisena is expected to visit India on Feb. 16 and the trip will be his first overseas visit after assuming office early in January after defeating his opponent and former president Mahinda Rajapakse at the Jan. 8 presidential elections.

"My best wishes for the development of Sri Lanka in the years to come. I look forward to welcoming President Sirisena later this month," a statement quoting Prime Minister Modi said.

"On their Independence Day, my greetings to the people of Sri Lanka. The bonds of history, culture and shared values that we share are unbreakable," Prime Minister Modi said in his independence day message.

In an effort to boost bilateral ties and in reciprocal to Sirisena's visit, the Indian Prime Minister is expected to visit Sri Lanka in March. During his visit, he is also expected to visit Jaffna, in the Tamil majority Northern Province which was badly affected by a 30 year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels.

Modi's visit will coincide with the 28th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, where a UN report on the island's war crimes will be presented. It will also be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the island nation in over 25 years.

Meanwhile, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, in her Independence Day message to the island has wished the country happiness and prosperity.

"It gives me great pleasure to send Your Excellency my warmest greetings on the celebration of your National Day, together with my best wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the coming year," the British High Commission in Colombo released in a statement, quoting the Queen. Endi