Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to embark on three-day visit to Sri Lanka today

During the visit, Sitharaman will deliver an address as the guest of honour at the 'NAAM 200' organised by the Sri Lankan government to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of India-origin Tamils (IOTs) to Sri Lanka at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo on November 2.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Sri Lankan Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman, senior leaders across political parties and several other dignitaries will attend "NAAM 200." Other invitees from Indian political parties and a representative of the Malaysian Tamil Congress will attend the event, according to the Ministry of Finance press release.

She will deliver an address at the India-Sri Lanka Business Summit on the theme 'Enhancing Connectivity: Partnering for Prosperity.' The India-Sri Lanka Business Summit is being jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in Colombo on November 2.

During her visit, Sitharaman will hold meetings with Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena. She will witness the exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding for solar electrification of religious places in Sri Lanka, according to the Ministry of Finance press release.

The Ministry of Finance said in the press release, "The Union Finance Minister will witness the exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding for solar electrification of religious places in Sri Lanka, wherein India will allocate Rs 82.40 crores out of the GOI grant assistance of Rs 107.47 crores earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties."

Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate SBI branches at Trincomalee and Jaffna on November 2 and 3. During her visit, she will visit Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee and Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna.

Furthermore, the Union Minister for Finance is scheduled to visit Lanka IOC oil tank farms, Jaffna Cultural Centre and Jaffna Public Library, according to a Ministry of Finance press release.

Earlier in October, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka. During his visit, Jaishankar attended the 23rd Council of Ministers (COM) meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), hosted by Sri Lanka. During his visit, EAM Jaishankar called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President's Secretariat. (ANI)