The Hindu : Sinha in Colombo

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 15, 2003

International

International

Sinha in Colombo

By V.S. Sambandan

— Photo: Sriyantha Walpola

The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, being received by his Sri Lankan counterpart, Tyrone Fernando, at the Colombo airport on Monday. — Photo: Sriyantha Walpola

COLOMBO Oct. 14. The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, arrived here today on a two-day official visit, leading a high-level delegation to participate in the fifth India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting, which will discuss a broad range of bilateral issues.

Mr. Sinha is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Sinha, who is on his second visit to the island since he took charge of the External Affairs Ministry last year, will inaugurate an exhibition on Buddhist art, present a CT scanner to the Jaffna Hospital and a van to the Jaffna University tomorrow.

On his arrival here today, Mr. Sinha signed a bilateral assistance programme with his Mauritius counterpart, Anil Kumarsingh Gayam. The $12 million agreement is for constructing a convention centre in Mauritius.

Since 1995, India has extended bilateral assistance of around $200 million to Mauritius, the largest being a $100 million package for a cyber city complex, officials said.

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