Minister of External Affairs Peiris visits India; Sri Lanka congratulates Jayalalitha on her becoming Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu; Sri Lankan fishermen caught by Indian Coast Guard; Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning visits Vietnam;
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    • Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G L Peiris visited India from May 15-17. During his visit, Peiris called on Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh. He also met with India’s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, India’s External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, India’s National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and India’s Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao.1 Later, Foreign Minister Prof G L Peiris sent a congratulatory letter to AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on her becoming the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.2

    Reports noted that a group of twenty Lankan fishermen with four trawlers in Indian custody was handed over to the Fisheries Ministry of Sri Lankan Government on May 16 in Thalaimannar by the Indian Coast Guard. The fishermen were arrested by the Indian authorities last month on April 3 and April 25 respectively.3 Again on May 19 Indian Coast Guard ship Sarang had apprehended two Sri Lankan boats with 10 fishermen on the charges of fishing in Indian waters illegally.4

    In another development, Sri Lankan Minister of Industries and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen visited Iran and met Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, the Commerce Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Mehdi Ghazanfari and held discussions on commerce and trade between the two countries. Minister Bathiudeen said he expects more Iranian companies to take part in Sri Lanka's development projects in future.5 Minister Rishad Bathiudeen also visited Riyadh and Jeddah and urged Saudi businessmen to invest in upcoming projects in Sri Lanka. He also expressed his government’s interest in exchanging experience with the Saudi Kingdom in desalination and water management programs.6

    In other developments, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Gitanjana Gunawardena visited Vietnam.7

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