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Manmohan to visit Sri Lanka twice next year

COLOMBO: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit Sri Lanka twice next year, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said here on Friday.

Sri Lanka had invited Dr. Singh to be the chief guest of a function on February 4 to mark the 60th Independence Day of the island nation, he said at a news conference here.

“I have already made an announcement in Parliament on the invitation. The request is under consideration by the Indian Government”, the Minister said. If Dr. Singh accepted the invitation, it would be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in two decades.

Dr. Singh was also expected to be in Sri Lanka in his capacity as SAARC Chairman, he said. The 14th summit of the SAARC Council of Ministers agreed at their 29th session in New Delhi last week to host the 15th summit in 2008 in Sri Lanka, he pointed out. Mr. Bogollagama said hosting the summit was of special significance as it would coincide with its 60th Independence anniversary.

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