SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Ties between India and Sri Lanka remained sever for long and Ex-President Mahinda Rajapakse was one of the major hurdle for a thaw in ties. India’s alleged involvement in SriLanka, supporting LTTE was the major cause of strenuous ties between both the countries but after the Mahinda Rajapakse’s defeat in recent election, New Srilankan President Maithripala Sirisena decided to break the ice between countries. India’s visit is his first ever foreign visit after assuming the office, which shows that Sri Lanka seeks a paradigm shift in her foreign policies. Apart from this India is also keen to extend its influence in the region regarding China’s hegemonic intentions. While there were no major announcements, the two leaders did strike deals to cooperate on nuclear energy and strengthen defence ties as well as announce plans for Modi to pay a reciprocal visit to Sri Lanka next month. Closing India and Sri Lankan ties would be a great setback not only for Pakistan but also for China, who ploughed huge sums into Sri Lankan infrastructure projects, becoming the country’s biggest foreign financier and enjoying significant political and even military influence.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
