Envoy On Transport Plane

India’s High Commissioner-designate to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay landed in Colombo today. Unable to travel on a commercial flight since airlines stopped flying in and out of India immediately after the lockdown came into effect in the last week of March, Baglay flew on an IL-76 plane from Delhi to Colombo accompanying a load of essential medical supplies to the island nation. He is expected to present his credentials to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa early next week. The decision to fly out Baglay, who was an important Joint Secretary in the PMO, on a non-commercial flight was taken at the highest level since Sri Lanka is one of India’s most important neighbours. Ever since Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President in November 2019, India-Sri Lanka relationship has been on the upswing. The High Commissioner’s post was lying vacant in Colombo since Taranjit Singh was shifted to Washington DC as India’s Ambassador to the United States days before President Donald Trump made a visit to India in late February.