Chinese Premier congratulates new Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today congratulated Ranil Wickremesinghe on his swearing-in as Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, saying friendly cooperation is in the fundamental interest of both the countries.

In the message, Li said China and Sri Lanka are good, time-tested friends and partners which, in recent years, have deepened cooperation in a variety of areas, bringing concrete benefits to people of the two countries.

He said the friendly cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and is also the common aspiration of their peoples, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to its ties with Sri Lanka and stands ready to work with the Sri Lankan government to promote bilateral strategic partnership, Li said.

Wickremesinghe, 66, took oath for the fourth time at the Presidential Secretariat today in the presence of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.