Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan departs for Sri Lanka on first foreign visit

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday departed for Sri Lanka on a twoday official visit marking his first foreign visit since assuming officeIn a statement on X Ministry of External Affairs MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Honble Vice President of India Shri C P Radhakrishnan VPIndia has departed for Sri Lanka A rich agenda involving meeting with Sri Lankan leadership and interacting with Indian community lies aheadAccording to the Ministry of External Affairs the visit includes meetings with Sri Lankas top leadership and engagements with the Indianorigin Tamil community The visit is part of Indias broader diplomatic outreach under its Neighbourhood First policyDuring the visit the Vice President is scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and the Leader of the Opposition along with representatives of Sri Lankan Tamil and Indianorigin Tamil political groupsAccording to Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha the Vice President will also engage directly with communities in Nuwara Eliya Sri Lankas picturesque upcountry teagrowing region where a large section of the Indianorigin Tamil community residesThere he will visit settlements developed under Indias Housing Project Phase III which has already constructed 4000 houses with an additional 10000 currently underwayHonrsquoble Vice President of India Shri C P Radhakrishnan VPIndia has departed for Sri LankaA rich agenda involving meeting with Sri Lankan leadership and interacting with Indian community lies ahead pictwittercomfNYWBY58R7mdash Randhir Jaiswal MEAIndia April 19 2026The visit is expected to see the VicePresident interact with Indianorigin Tamil families visit housing projects and also tour the Seetha Temple in Nuwara EliyaWelcoming the visit the President of the Lanka India Business Association Santosh Menon told ANI I consider this a significant and important moment in the history of the relationship between the two countries As you know in the recent past India and Sri Lankas relationship has been at its bestA Kathak artist and lecturer in Colombo also said I welcome Vice President CP Radhakrishnan to Sri Lanka This visit of the Vice President CP Radhakrishnan will strengthen the ties between India and Sri LankaFurthermore on VP Radhakrishnans visit to Sri Lanka President of the Indian CEO Forum ICF in Sri Lanka Kishore Reddy expressed happiness saying We are very happy as his visit is going to strengthen peopletopeople ties as well as the business and economic relationship that India already has With his visit the ties between India and Sri Lanka are going to get strengthenedIndia has always assisted Sri Lanka in all the calamities including the recent Cyclone Ditwah and the present crisis as wellThe Ministry of External Affairs has described Sri Lanka as a key partner under Indias Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR framework noting that the visit will further reinforce centuriesold civilisational ties and deepen the enduring peopletopeople relationship between the two nations ANIThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever