New Delhi, March 16 : Finance Minister of Sri Lanka, Basil Rajapaksa, who is on an official visit to New Delhi, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Rajapaksa briefed the Prime Minister on initiatives being taken by the two countries to increase bilateral economic cooperation and conveyed his thanks for the support extended by India for the Sri Lankan economy, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement here. Modi spoke about the central role that Sri Lanka occupies in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR) doctrine. He reiterated that India would continue to stand with the friendly people of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa noted the deepening people-to-people relations between both the countries, including in the cultural sphere. The PM pointed to the potential for increasing tourist flows, including through joint promotion of Buddhist and Ramayan tourism circuits. CM RJ
