Former Sri Lankan presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and his youthful brother Gotabaya Rajapaska on Friday held discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a spread of problems with mutual curiosity and thanked the Indian authorities for its steadfast dedication in aiding Colombo throughout its troubled instances.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 73, fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives on a Sri Lanka Airforce aircraft in July final yr, because the nation plunged into its worst financial and humanitarian disaster since its independence from Great Britain in 1948.

“Called on former President @PresRajapaksa in the present day. Discussed the present challenges confronted by Sri Lanka and India’s sturdy assist on this hour of want,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.

In September last year, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was given special security and a state bungalow upon his return here from Thailand.

An ex-military officer, he was appointed Sri Lanka president in November 2019.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign as Sri Lanka’s prime minister in May last year following street protests in the country against the government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa for mishandling the unprecedented economic crisis.

“Had successful discussions with India’s External Affairs Min @DrSJaishankar & discussed a range of issues of mutual interest,” Mahinda Rajapaksa tweeted.

“Also thanked the Indian govt. for its steadfast dedication in aiding #SriLanka throughout its troubled instances & the sturdy ties shared between Sri Lanka & India,” the 77-year-old leader tweeted.

Jaishankar also met the leader of opposition Sajith Premadasa and exchanged views about bilateral ties.

“Nice to meet the leader of opposition @sajithpremadasa. Exchanged views about our bilateral ties,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Premadasa stated his assembly with Jaishankar reaffirmed the sturdy partnership constructed between India and Sri Lanka.

“It was nice to fulfill @DrSJaishankar in the present day. Our assembly made clear that India and Sri Lanka have an especially sturdy partnership constructed on our shared values. I look to proceed this friendship within the coming years,” Premadasa tweeted.

Later, Jaishankar also met Douglas Devanan, Sri Lanka’s minister of fisheries.

“Discussed cooperation on fisheries and stressed working together and humanitarian approach,” the External Affairs Minister stated in a tweet.

Jaishankar is in Sri Lanka to fulfill the nation’s high leaders to boost bilateral ties and finalise a debt restructuring plan to assist Colombo carve out a path from its financial disaster.

The IMF facility would allow the island nation to acquire bridging finance from markets and different lending establishments such because the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented monetary disaster in 2022 because of a extreme paucity of overseas trade reserves, sparking political turmoil within the nation which led to the ouster of the omnipotent Rajapaksa household, which has dominated Sri Lankan politics for over twenty years.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the patriarch of the Rajapaksa household, served as president from 2005 to 2015.

He additionally served because the prime minister from 2004 to 2005, 2018, and 2019 to 2022.

The Rajapaksas have dominated Sri Lankan politics for over twenty years.

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