India ‘very friendly country’, says Sri Lanka

By IANS

Colombo : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has described India as a "very friendly country" and said his government will never do anything that harms longstanding bilateral ties.


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"India is our very friendly country. India is a country that has given us everything what we asked," he told parliament Wednesday after an opposition MP accused the government of damaging relations with New Delhi.

"The government strongly maintains the close relationship between the two countries. We can never forget the assistance given to us by India," the state-run Daily News quoted the prime minister as saying.

He added that the government had not taken any measure to weaken the friendly relationships with India and other neighbouring countries.

Wickremanayake was responding to a complaint by United National Party MP Lakshman Seneviratne that the government had given up its friendly relations with India.

Urban Development and Sacred City Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene, who interrupted the MP's speech, said: "On behalf of the government, I would like to say that the statement made by the MP is completely false."

The prime minister then said that Seneviratne had made a serious allegation and outlined the government's views.

The discussion in parliament followed anger in Sri Lanka over Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan's comments that Colombo had no right to approach China or Pakistan for weapons purchases.

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