Sri Lanka president in key India visit

Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena is in India, seeking to mend relations hit by tensions over China's growing influence on Colombo.
This is Sirisena's first official foreign visit since taking office last month.
By choosing to visit India first, he is making it clear that ties with Delhi are a top foreign policy priority.

PM Shri @narendramodi and President of Sri Lanka Shri Maithripala Sirisena at delegation level talks held in NewDelhi pic.twitter.com/2dtEm64LJC

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This is in sharp contrast to Mahinda Rajapaksa, his predecessor, who forged closer ties with India's rival China.
During Rajapaksa's rule, China invested billions in loans and infrastructure projects in the island nation and last year, a Chinese warship and two submarines visited Colombo port, much to the dislike of the Indian authorities.
President Sirisena, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a four-day visit, is due to hold official talks with Modi on Monday and also attend a banquet hosted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
Before returning home on Wednesday, he is due to travel to the Hindu temple in Tirupati in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and visit the Buddhist pilgrimage site Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
At his bilateral talks with Modi, he is expected to allay India's fears about Colombo's ties with Beijing.

Tamil Issue
The two leaders are also likely to discuss Sri Lanka's efforts to establish reconciliation with the ethnic Tamil minority.
Sri Lankan Tamils have complained that little has been done to restore trust and national unity after the war with the Tamil rebels ended in 2009.
India, with its own sizeable Tamil population, has also voiced concerns about the slow pace of reconciliation efforts.
"A first visit is always an opportunity to set directions," India's foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters ahead of President Sirisena's arrival.
"We expect substantial talks, we expect outcomes in terms of agreements, in terms of frameworks, and in terms of announcements," he added.