Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already in Seychelles and will reach Sri Lanka tomorrow. This will be Modi's first visit to the island nation after 1987.
His visit to island nation comes after Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had justified his country's navy shooting intruding Indian fishermen.
Modi`s visit to Sri Lanka is the most important in terms of Indian`s relations with its Indian ocean neighbors. Here are some major anticipated developments –
- Modi will address the Sri Lankan Parliament and try to explore ways to boost economic partnership to make the free trade agreement between the countries more effective.
- PM Modi is also expected to offer a credit line to Sri Lanka to ensure funds for infrastructure and development projects and expanded support for military training.
- The stalled Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement could also be taken up by the two nations as the Lankans are interested in Indian investments in automobile parts, pharmaceutical, textile and engineering products.
- He will also travel to Jaffna, the northern Sri Lankan Tamil majority region. 'I will be visiting Mahabodhi Society in Colombo & travel to Anuradhapura, Talaimannar & Jaffna & interact with cross-section of society: PMO twitted after PM`s departure.
- He will also push for the final approval for a 500 MW power plant to be built by India's state-run National Thermal Power Corporation under a 2012 agreement in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.