Sushma Swaraj travels to Colombo on Friday

New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj travels to Sri Lanka on Friday – in the third high-level bilateral visit between the two countries that will also lay the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit later this month.

Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted that Sushma Swaraj’s visit was a signal of the upswing in bilateral ties. "Buoyancy in India-SriLanka ties in 2015," he posted.

Sushma Swaraj’s visit to the island nation comes two weeks after new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena visited India on his maiden foreign trip after taking over in January following his surprise win over long-time president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During Sirisena’s Feb 17 visit, both sides inked a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the first such that India has inked with any of its neighbours.

Ahead of his visit, his foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera had touched base with the Indian government to lay the ground for the presidential visit.