Iran, Lanka to prioritise ties

Iran and Sri Lanka have discussed priorities? for? future? bilateral? relations in? the? overall? context? of? the? trajectory? of? Iranian? policy? enunciated? in? the? inauguration? address by the new President of Iran Hassan Rouhani.
External? Affairs? Minister? Professor? G.L.Peiris,? representing? President? Mahinda? Rajapaksa? at? the? inauguration? of? President? Rouhani? as? the? eleventh? President? of? the? Islamic? Republic? of? Iran,? conveyed? to? the? new? President ?the? warm? felicitations? and? good? wishes? of? President? Rajapaksa,? and? his? appreciation? of? Iran?s? goodwill? and? friendship? for? Sri? Lanka, the External Affairs Ministry said.
Soon? after? the? ceremonial? induction? in? the? precincts? of? Iran?s? Parliament,? Minister? Peiris? called? on? Eshaq Jahangiri,? First? Deputy? to? the? President? of? Iran.? He? expressed? the? view? that,? with? peace? and? stability? fully? established? in? Sri? Lanka,? and? with? the? rapid? development? of? the? economy,? the? two? countries? could? look? forward? to? strengthened? relations.
Minister Peiris referred? to? the? substantial? assistance? extended? by? Iran? to a variety? of? development? projects? in? Sri? Lanka,? including the Uma? Oya? irrigation? project? and? the? electrification? of? 1400? villages.
Minister Peiris? also? held? discussions? with? Dr.? Ali? Akbar? Salehi, Iran?s? Minister? of? Foreign? Affairs? as? well? as informally? with? Dr. Javad? Zarif,? Professor? of? Law? and? former? Permanent? Representative? of? Iran? at? the? United? Nations,? who? was? named? by? President? Rouhani? soon? after? the? inauguration? as? the? Foreign? Minister- designate? of? the? Islamic? Republic? of? Iran.? At both these discussions Prof. Peiris? explained? the? current?? priorities? and? objectives? of? Sri? Lanka? in? the? field? of? foreign? relations. (Colombo Gazette)