India, Sri Lanka to Sign Up Deal on Port Development Next Week

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to visit India from April 25 to April 29 to strengthen economic cooperation between the two neighbors. His visit will also set the agenda for the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka in May.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — During the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's visit, the two countries will finalize the MoU for joint development of Trincomalee port to set up a petroleum refinery and a land lease agreement. When Modi visits Sri Lanka, the two countries are due to sign other agreements.

"Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be traveling to India on a working visit from April 25 to 29, 2017," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

During his five-day visit, Wickremesinghe will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.

"The visit of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to India [on] April 25 is part of our continuing engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka at the highest level," the MEA spokesperson said.

India and Sri Lanka will hold discussions on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement. Apart from that, the two sides are likely to discuss the contentious fisherman's issue, which has rankled ties between the two countries.