<span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lankan government has said that people to people contacts between India and Sri Lanka has increased considerably in past few years.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lankan minister for Highways and petroleum development Kabir Hashim said that Indians constitute the largest number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka. He said, increased connectivity between the two neighbours has made it possible.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said that Sri Lankan airlines is connecting to 14 Indian cities to bridge the demand by Sri Lankans and Indians who are looking for seamless connections for work and pleasure.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The minister was speaking as chief guest at the reception organized by Indian High commission in Colombo to celebrate 70th Republic day.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He emphasized the increasing cooperation in economic and commercial activities between the two neighbours and high level visit which took last year.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Hashim said, visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka in May 2017 was a highlight of bilateral relations.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He added that hundreds of Sri Lankan students are benefiting from the scholarships provided by Indian government in various streams.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Indian high commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu said Indian and Sri Lanka have so much in common since time immemorial but they respect each other's specialties and choices.</span><br />''