Maldives president to visit Sri Lanka later this month

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has decided to answer an invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and visit Sri Lanka later this month, local media reported on Wednesday. Spokesperson at the President's Office Ibrahim Muaz said a date for the trip will be decided after both sides have concluded certain decisions. The trip to Sri Lanka will be President Yameen's second official trip abroad. He made his first official trip as President of Maldives to India earlier this month. During the trip to India, the President was accompanied by two coalition leaders and resort tycoons; Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and leader of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) Ahmed Siyam Mohamed. President Yameen is expected take a similarly strong contingent to Sri Lanka, also comprising of coalition leaders, government minister and senior government officials, local media outlet Sun reported. President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited President Yameen to visit Sri Lanka through a letter delivered during a courtesy call by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Maldives, Dickson Sarathchandra Dela, on Dec. 12, 2013. The Government of Japan has also invited President Yameen and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim for an official visit to the country. This will be the first visit made by Yameen to Sri Lanka after he was elected on Nov. 16.