“Sri Lanka is wanting to go beyond strengthening traditional ties to strengthening economic ties to enter the modern age”, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking at the Indian High Commission reception to mark the 66 th Indian Republic Day.

He further said that the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and the masses who voted him to power share this perspective.

The Prime Minister appealed to Lankan businessmen to link up with India to explore new opportunities thrown up by a resurgent neighbor.

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very interested in Sri Lanka and the region, and that this augurs well for Sri Lanka which is in the threshold of a new era,” quoting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe The New Indian Express reported.

India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Y. K. Sinha also said that his country is ready to work with the new government of Sri Lanka to take the bilateral relationship between the two nations to the next level and stands ready to continue to provide support and partnership to the closest neighbor in realizing its people's aspirations.