Manmohan and Mahinda reach out to each other

Bandula Jayasekara in New Delhi

President Mahinda Rajapakse and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached out to each other warmly from the time they met in New Delhi.

Rajapakse is on his first state visit to New Delhi as the President of Sri Lanka.

First it was at the ceremonial welcome at the Forecourt of the Rashtrapathi Bhawan where they very warmly greeted each other. Then it was at the Hyderabad house when the two leaders met for talks. Singh and Rajapakse spent nearly one hour talking to each other while the two official delegations waited outside.

A top Indian diplomat told the Daily News: "It showed how the two leaders hit it off while we waited outside to join them. It is a good sign for both countries. We later found out that the two leaders liked each other's sincerity."

Sources close to the Indian Premier described President Rajapakse as frank, sincere and a man with integrity while the Sri Lankan President had told Indian diplomats that India was lucky to have a learned, sincere and a visionary leader in Dr Manmohan Singh.

Sources also revealed that the Indian leader had been most kind and very considerate towards his small neighbour and shown his genuine concern to help Sri Lanka.