KATHMANDU: Secretary-General of SAARC Esala Ruwan Weerakoon met External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar during his week-long visit to India on Tuesday.

The visit has been initiated from Sunday to explore the means to strengthen regional cooperation including COVID-19 management.

Taking to Twitter, Dr. Jaishankar stated, nice to welcome back E. R. Weerakoon, the 14th SAARC Secretary-General.

Earlier, Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh met Esala Ruwan Weerakoon. In a tweet, MEA Spokesman Arindam Bagchi said, Ranjan received Weerakoon, who is on his customary introductory visit to India.

Dr. Ranjan wished him well for his term at SAARC.

The SAARC is a regional alliance comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.

Weerakoon is a Sri Lankan diplomat and assumed charge as the Secretary-General of the SAARC last year.