U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal has met with Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and discussed issues of bilateral interest between the two nations.
A Colombo Page web site report said Monday that Biswal, who is on a two-day official visit to the island nation, was accompanied by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Atul Keshap to the meeting with Samaraweera.
Biswal also reportedly met key civil society members, according to a U.S. Embassy tweet.
She is scheduled to meet President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, besides senior government officials, the web site quoted the Foreign Affairs Ministry, as saying in a statement.
Biswal is also expected to hold discussions with members of the Northern Provincial Council, civil society members and people.
Biswal's visit is the first by a high ranking American Government official to the country after the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena came to power last month.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is scheduled to leave for the U.S. on February 16 to further cement the ties between the two countries.