The Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Chamal Rajapaksa, visiting India with a delegation of Parliamentarians at the invitation of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, called on the President of India, Her Excellency Smt. Pratibha Patil, on 2 August at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. The Speaker was accompanied by Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena, W.D.J. Senewiratne, Risad Badhiutheen, Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, MPs Rajiva Wijesinha, Malani Fonseka and Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Kitulgoda and High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam.
The Official Visit commenced on 1 August with the delegation paying respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. This was followed by visits to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Indian Parliament. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and the delegation were received by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha with official announcements in both Houses.
The delegation called on the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar, Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Hamid Ansari, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal and the Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
The delegation met and interacted with the President and members of the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Indian Parliament, several other MPs and Indian and foreign media personnel, at the Residence of the High Commissioner.
The visit, manifesting the strengthening of relations between the two countries at all levels, provided an opportunity for the delegation to brief their counterparts and the media on progress in resettlement, rehabilitation and restoration of livelihoods in the post conflict phase. The delegation discussed with their counterparts, the importance of regular interactions and visits to each other’s countries to share best practices and learn from each other.
High Commission of Sri Lanka in India
New Delhi
3 August 2011
