Sri Lankan President Sirisena to visit India on his first foreign trip

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will visit India on his maiden foreign trip next month even as he ordered the release of all Indian fishermen in custody here as a goodwill gesture on the first day in office.

"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi asked the President to visit India and wanted the visit to take place this month itself. But, he (Sirisena) said this month may not be possible because he is still settling down, but early next month is OK," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said.

Modi, during his telephonic talk to congratulate Sirisena, had invited him to Delhi at his earliest convenience, Senaratne said.

As a goodwill gesture, Sirisena decided to free all Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody and would take a decision on the fate of Indian trawlers that have been seized by local authorities, he said.

Sirisena, in his address to the nation soon after being sworn-in on Friday, said he would work to mend Sri Lanka's relations with neighbouring nations as well as the international community and overseas institutions. "We will work with friendship and brotherhood and cooperation with all states," he had said.

Meanwhile, the 63-year-old Lankan leader began assembling a "national unity" cabinet and invited exiled dissidents back to the country.

A day after his stunning victory deposing the formidable Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election, the new President is planning to include ministers from a cross-section of parties.

He also began a purge of the bureaucracy of the Rajapaksa regime, appointing Rajitha Senaratne as the government spokesman. PB Abeykoon, a senior civil servant, has replaced Lalith Weeratunga as the Presidential Secretary or the head of the civil service.

"The President will name some ministers next week and the balance after the Pope's visit," from January 13 to 15, Senaratne, who is tipped to become health minister, said.

Sirisena, who had promised a 100-day programme to carry out urgent political and economic reforms, has ordered the immediate lifting of censorship on dissident websites, an end to phone tapping, surveillance of journalists and politicians, and the establishment of a right to information law.

Sri Lankan journalists and other dissidents, who had fled the country, were invited back on the promise that criticism was welcome.