New Delhi, October 1: Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who is to complete his tenure in Delhi shortly, paid a farewell call on the National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval at the latter’s office in New Delhi.
During the call, the High Commissioner expressed his appreciation to the National Security Advisor for the counsel and guidance he provided during his tenure. During the discussion, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and the National Security Advisor of India had a comprehensive review of the status of the bilateral relationship. They also discussed the priority areas for future cooperation.
As a token of appreciation, High Commissioner Moragoda presented to Mr. Doval two volumes of the publication Urumayaka Arumaya by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka featuring murals of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, which also include several murals that depict the gift of Buddhism to Sri Lanka from India, and a stone obtained from the stream flowing besides the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya (Ashoka Vatika), a significant Ramayana site in Sri Lanka.
Moragoda paid a farewell call also on the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal (29/9) at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi.
During the call, High Commissioner Moragoda recalled the continuous interactions he has had with the Minister and expressed his appreciation to the latter for the support extended during his tenure in Delhi. The High Commissioner particularly thanked the Minister for his contribution towards the resumption of the negotiations on Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between India and Sri Lanka. The next (12th) round of negotiations on the ETCA are scheduled to be held in Colombo from 30 October-01 November 2023.
In this regard, they welcomed the virtual meeting of the Chief Negotiators of Sri Lanka and India on 19th September to discuss the way forward in resumption of ETCA negotiations, as agreed by the leaders of the two countries in the “India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision” July this year, and stressed the importance of completing the negotiations within the agreed timeframe.
As a token of appreciation and goodwill, High Commissioner Moragoda presented to Minister Goyal a stone obtained from the stream flowing besides the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya (Ashoka Vatika), a significant Ramayana site in Sri Lanka.
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