Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has telephoned the Indian prime minister-designate Narendra Modi and congratulated him for the “decisive verdict” he received from the people, reported The Hindu.
Rajapaksa extended a personal invitation to Modi to visit Sri Lanka, the president’s spokesman Mohan Samaranayake was quoted as saying.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate the Indian people on the conclusion of a successful and peaceful general election,” he said, in a statement released to The Hindu by his office on Friday.
Calling the Indian elections “a great example of the traditions of democracy that we cherish in South Asia”, Rajapaksa said “Despite the enormity of this democratic exercise, the election took place in the absence of violence.”
“India and Sri Lanka have always shared good relations, and I look forward to working closely with the new administration,” he said in the statement.
Narendra Modi tweeted at Mahinda Rajapaksa after the conversation, saying that he looks forward to strong relations between the two countries.
@PresRajapaksa It was wonderful speaking to you earlier today. I look forward to strong relations between Sri Lanka & India.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014
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