VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday left for Sri Lankan capital Colombo on a two-day visit at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Mr. Naidu, who left Vijayawada for Colombo en route Chennai, will be the ‘Guest of Honour’ at a function on Sunday to mark the completion of two years in office of Sri Lanka’s National Unity Government. He will address the audience on the topic “Prosperity for All”. The event is being organised with a focus on economic development under-pinning poverty alleviation and innovation in line with the President’s declaration that 2017 will be the “Year of poverty alleviation”.
Mr. Sirisena will host a dinner for Mr. Naidu on his arrival on Saturday. On Sunday, Mr. Naidu will visit the Sri Lankan projects in Colombo and attend the national ceremony to mark “the dawn of three years in sustainability, the era of sustainability following the restoration of democracy under the Presidency of Maithripala Sirisena marked by compassionate governance and stability”’.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr. Naidu will deliver key-note address at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. He will also meet the media in the evening and the Non-Resident Indians before returning home, according to the itinerary and a note released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The note says President Sirisena had highly commended Mr. Naidu’s achievements as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in fighting poverty and bringing innovation close to the lives of the people.
According to an official Sri Lankan communiqué, President Sirisena wished to launch a new programme for poverty alleviation aimed at enhancing the already existing capabilities of communities to break through the poverty cycle and to increase the resilience of the marginally middle-class households. In working towards poverty alleviation, the President prioritizes science technology and innovation for leapfrogging in development.
ADVERTISEMENT