Indian Prime Minister arrives in Sri Lanka on state visit

COLOMBO - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday on a two-day state visit.

His visit is the first by an Indian leader to the island nation in over 25 years.

He was received by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and other government officials at the country's Bandaranaike International Airport.

During his stay, Modi is expected to hold discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, government officials and political party members including the Tamil majority party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

He is also expected to sign some key agreement with the Sri Lankan government and offer assistance, in a bid to strengthen ties between the two nations.

He will also travel to the Tamil dominated northern province where he is expected to flag off the first train signifying the recommencement of the northern Talaimannar/Medawachchiya sector of the train service to Colombo.

He will then proceed to the ancient capital of Anuradhapura and then to Kandy, located in the island's central province.

During his visit, the Indian prime minister will also address the Sri Lankan parliament and is expected to lay a wreath at the?(Indian Peace Keeping Force) IPKF Memorial in the capital Colombo, to pay his tribute to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during a peace keeping mission in Sri Lanka, in the early nineties.