Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who is on an official visit to the State of Maharashtra met with the Governor of the State Shri Ramesh Bais on 30 in Mumbai. The meeting was held at the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor.
Governor Bais extended a warm welcome to High Commissioner Moragoda. The discussion that followed included a range of issues pertaining to Indo-Lanka relations, in particular the ways and means to enhance cooperation between Sri Lanka and the State of Maharashtra.
High Commissioner Moragoda apprised the Governor of the current developments in Sri Lanka. They also discussed the opportunities for the expansion of trade and investment relations as well as cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Maharashtra. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner highlighted the key role that tourist arrivals from India, including from Maharashtra, could play in the economic revival in Sri Lanka, tourism being a major pillar of economic recovery along with investments from India. In this context, developing and promoting the Buddhist trail and the Ramayana trail between Sri Lanka and the State of Maharashtra were discussed.
Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Mumbai Dr. Valsan Vethody was also present at the meeting.
A member of the Bhartiya Janata Party and a former Union Minister, Shri Ramesh Bais had previously served as the Governor of the States of Jharkhand and Tripura.
High Commissioner Moragoda’s official visit to Maharashtra comes as part of his continuing efforts to reach out to the states of India with a view to expanding Sri Lanka’s footprint at state level and promoting greater interactions between Sri Lanka and the states of the Indian Union.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
New Delhi
31 March 2023
