By IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa is unlikely to stop over in New Delhi on his way to Nepal next month.
“The president will be taking a chartered flight to Nepal. It’s highly unlikely that he will make a stopover in India on his way to or from Nepal,” Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe told IANS.
“The visit to Nepal will be a stand-alone visit,” the envoy said amid speculation that the Sri Lankan president might drop in for a brief visit to Delhi.
He, however, added that Rajapaksa would meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during the meeting in Colombo of foreign ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries Feb 27-28.
Mukherjee is likely to formally convey to Rajapaksa India’s offer of assisting civilians trapped in conflict zones in Sri Lanka, an issue that has evoked widespread concerns in India, especially in Tamil Nadu.
Colombo has expressed its willingness to accept New Delhi’s assistance but has made it clear that such a decision would depend on the realities on the ground.
“India has indicated its interest in evacuating civilians. We are open to accepting logistical help from friendly countries like India,” the envoy said.
Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit Nepal in March and pray at the holy Buddhist shrines in that country.
He last came to India in November to attend a regional summit.