Colombo: India "will stand by" Sri Lanka and is prepared "to go the extra mile," External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Friday as he met Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday.

"India is a reliable neighbour, a trustworthy partner, one who is prepared to go the extra mile when Sri Lanka feels the need. We will stand by Sri Lanka in this hour of need and are confident that it will overcome the challenges it faces," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

This shows the long-standing strong bilateral ties that India has with Sri Lanka.

Taking the announcement to Twitter, the EAM said, "Delighted to call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe today morning. Underlined that my presence in Sri Lanka is a statement of PM @narendramodi's commitment to Neighbourhood First. @RW_UNP".

Prior to this Jaishankar had visited the Maldives on Thursday which was his fourth visit since he assumed the EAM's charge.

The External Affairs Minister also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and said that both countries have, in recent years, seen remarkable progress under their leadership.

The partnership between India and Maldives will emerge stronger than before as quality social infrastructure is being created across Maldives under this development partnership, he added.