After spending three days on what was described as a “private visit” in the West
Bank and sleeping three nights in Ramallah, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Gamini
Lakshman Peiris began a three-day formal visit in Israel on Monday that reflects
strengthening ties between the two countries.
During his stay, he will
meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and
Intelligence Affairs Minister Dan Meridor.
Israel and Sri Lanka renewed
diplomatic ties in 2000, and reportedly have a robust military
relationship.
Israeli weaponry, including Kfir planes and naval boats,
have been attributed with helping the Sri Lankan government defeat the Tamil
Tigers in 2009. The Tamil Tigers were the first to use explosive belts to carry
out suicide attacks, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad reportedly learned the
technique from this organization.