India Looking Forward to New Sri Lankan President's Visit

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) India Monday said it was looking forward to the visit by new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and hoped that the new government will "take into account the views of all sections of the Sri Lankan population to live a life of dignity and peace".

To a question on the Sri Lankan presidential elections that saw Mahinda Rajapaksa ousted, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Sri Lanka has a "very healthy tradition of democratic change at regular intervals".

"We welcome this completion of the democratic exercise", he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the earliest to congratulate Sirisena on the win.

Modi also wrote to the new president inviting him to visit India.

"The Sri Lankan president said he would be visiting at an early date. We look forward to that visit," the spokesperson said.

"And we look forward to a relation which is cordial, warm and friendly and hope for peace and stability in Sri Lanka, and hope the new government will take into account the views of all sections of the Sri Lankan population to live a life of dignity and peace," he added.

Sirisena is scheduled to visit India next month, reports quoting his officials said.

In his address to the nation after being sworn in Friday, Sirisena said he would work to mend Sri Lanka's relations with neighbouring countries as well as the international community and overseas institutions.