New Delhi, May 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday on completing 50 years as a parliamentarian. The two leaders also discussed the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also Read | Hema Malini Terms Kent RO's Controversial Atta Dough Maker Ad Inappropriate, Says 'I Stand With All Sections of Society'.

"Prime Minister spoke today to Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, to congratulate him on having completed 50 years since his first entering the Parliament of Sri Lanka," an official statement said. Modi recalled Rajapaska's contributions to the development of Sri Lanka in his long political career and wished him all the best for his future.  Also Read | DHFL Promoters Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan Sent to Judicial Custody till June 11: Live Breaking News Headlines & Coronavirus Updates, May 27, 2020.

He also conveyed his condolences at the sudden death of Arumugan Thondaman, a prominent leader of the Indian-Origin Tamils in Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. The prime minister recalled the role Thondaman had played in taking forward the development partnership between India and Sri Lanka.

The two leaders discussed the health and economic impact of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and the measures being taken in the two countries to counter it. Modi assured Rajapaksa that India stands ready to extend all possible support to Sri Lanka during this challenging time, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)