Talks in Lanka productive  - Indian Foreign Secretary

INDIA: India's top diplomat, fresh from an official trip to neighbour Sri Lanka, said yesterday that his discussions with Sri Lankan leaders had been productive.

"I had fruitful talks with Sri Lankan leaders," Associated Press quoted Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon as saying on his return to India after meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other senior leaders.

His visit to Sri Lanka was a precursor to President Rajapaksa's second official visit to India next week.

His visit enabled the preliminary discussions on the issues to be covered during the President's visit to India.

The President will hold discussions with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. He is also expected to meet Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi.

Menon left Sri Lanka yesterday after holding extensive bilateral talks with President Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The peace process and other bilateral issues figured prominently in these discussions.

"They discussed the humanitarian situation, the peace process, and the President's visit to India," said one diplomatic source.

One of the main planks of his visit was reviewing the rapid progress of the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and expediting moves towards the establishment of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. It was revealed that trade under the FTA had surpassed the US$ 2 billion mark.

His meetings also covered the progress and issues related to the peace process.

India has supported the Lankan Government, Norway and the Co-Chairs in peace moves.

Menon's visit underlined the warm and friendly relations between Sri lanka and India and the need to continue the close cooperation, the spokesman said.

This was his first visit to Sri Lanka after assuming duties as Foreign Secretary. Menon was dispatched to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Singh.