PM Modi congratulates new Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajpaksa

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Mahinda Rajpaksa on being sworn in as the new prime minister of Sri Lanka, saying he looks forward to work with him to further strengthen relations between the two nations.


"Congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. I look forward to working closely with him for further strengthening fraternal India-Sri Lanka ties," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.



Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday took oath as the new prime minister of the island nation after incumbent

Ranil Wickremesinghe

formally stepped down from his post.

Mahinda, the elder brother of the newly-elected President

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

, will function as the prime minister of the caretaker cabinet until the general election in August 2020.