SL Prez, PM to visit China, India in Feb

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa are scheduled to visit China and India with the aim of further strengthening regional cooperation and enhancing relations with the two Asian powers, it was reported on Friday.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will visit China on an invitation extended by the Chinese government, reports the Colombo Page newspaper.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who visited Sri Lanka earlier this week formally invited President Rajapaksa to Beijing.

During the visit, the President is expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and other top government officials and business leaders.

He is also expected to speak with representatives of the technology, tourism, infrastructure and other sectors.

The date of the visit was yet to be announced.

This is President Gotaabaya's first visit to China and the second official overseas visit after winning the presidential election on November 16, 2019.

Soon after assuming office, he visited India on an invitation extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to leave for India on February 7 at the invitation of the Indian government.

During his visit, he is scheduled to meet Modi and other top officials of the Indian government.

He will also visit Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

This is Mahinda Rajapaksa's first visit to India since becoming the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on November 18, 2019, and he is the third Sri Lankan government leader to visit India following the presidential election last year.

Besides the President, Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had also visited New Delhi.