Celebrated Indian author, parliamentarian and public intellectual Dr. Shashi Tharoor met with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo to exchange views on India–Sri Lanka relations and broader regional cooperation.

Dr. Tharoor is in Sri Lanka as the Chief Guest of the Colombo Literary Festival, which commenced on Thursday at the Arcade Independence Square.

He attended the festival’s opening ceremony alongside Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Colombo Mayor Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, Festival Director Pradeep Samaranayake, and members of Sri Lanka’s literary community.

The six-day Colombo Literary Festival, which runs from July 24 to 29, celebrates literature across Sinhala, Tamil and English, bringing together local and international writers, poets, critics, academics, filmmakers, artists and readers.

The festival programme features literary discussions, book launches, creative workshops, film screenings, cultural events, musical performances and book exhibitions. Events are open to the public daily from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. at the Arcade Independence Square.