External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna today inaugurated the Indian Consulate in Hambantota, a coastal town in south Sri Lanka. This is the fourth Indian diplomatic mission in Sri Lanka. Besides the Indian High Commission in Colombo, India has a consulate in Kandy to cater to the needs of the Sri Lankans of Indian origin in the central province and the consulate of Jaffna, which was inaugurated on Saturday, to reach out to the Sri Lankan Tamils in the northern province.Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Minister said that opening of Consulate General of India in Hambantota was reflective of India's desire to strengthen its linkages with a region of Sri Lanka with which India shares deep historical bonds.Mr. Krishna recalled that during the 2004 tsunami, India, which was impacted itself, was the first to come to Sri Lanka's assistance. Indian Navy ships with food, drinking water and medical attention on board were at Sri Lankan shores within 24 hours, delivering much needed succour to many affected communities who live within a few kilometers of here.He highlighted that India has also taken up the reconstruction of the damaged Southern railway corridor from Galle to Matara and the work was progressing on schedule. Mr. Krishna noted that the President of Sri Lanka himself has plans for developing Hambantota and its environs as a major regional hub. ‘It is therefore, natural that when we decided to open a Consulate in the South, we have opened it in Hambantota’, he said.The Minister said that given the optimism of the future of the region, the Hambantota Consulate is intended to build on India’s linkages with this region in the field of trade and commerce, investments, culture and tourism.Mr. Krishna was confident that India will take advantage of the industrial and commercial potential in and around Hambantota and would encourage private sector to participate in Hambantota’s development by seizing the opportunities for investments.In his bilateral talks with his interlocutors here the Minister said that India hoped for a ‘structured dialogue mechanism’ which could lead to the process towards a political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.During the course of his visit , he also participated in the ground breaking ceremony of the launch of the 1000 pilot houses for the war displaced Tamil civilians.This is part of the project for construction of 50,000 houses by India for Internally Displaced Persons in the Northern and Eastern Provinces Addressing the media on Friday, the Foreign Minister had said that these houses ‘will be an enduring symbol of India-Sri Lanka partnership’.India also handed over 500 tractors to the Sri Lankan government , with their associated tools and implements, for distribution to agrarian service centers in the Northern Province.Mr. Krishna reiterated that the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka in May 2009 provides Sri Lanka with an unparalleled opportunity to address all outstanding issues in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation and to work towards genuine national reconciliation.The Foreign Minister also traveled to Medawachchiya for the formal inauguration of works for the reconstruction of the Northern Railway lines. The ceremony marked the launch of works on the Medawachchiya-Madhu line by IRCON International Ltd.He was accompanied by the Indian Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao and the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha.