Colombo - The President of the Maldives Mohammed Nasheed arrived in Colombo Friday for a two-day official visit, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Nasheed is to call on his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa later in the evening for bilateral talks while a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka is scheduled for Saturday.
He will also meet with the local business community before leaving on Sunday morning. It is his first visit to Sri Lanka after taking office in November.
Nasheed, 41, a former political prisoner, was elected president October, replacing Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country since 1978.
The two island nations maintain close relations.
