<span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lanka has said that its economy could reap immense benefits from the successes of India which stands soaring as a global economic giant. Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said this while speaking at Republic day reception organized by Indian high commission in Colombo. He said India is expected to be the second largest global economy by 2050 and Sri Lanka look forward to forge a robust partnership through manifold activities like air connectivity, defence cooperation, enhanced investments, people to people contact and cultural exchanges. Mr. Gunawardena appreciated the continued assistance that India offers in the form of loans, grants, credit lines and technical assistances that exceeded 3 Billion US dollars.<br />''<br />''The minister appreciated the Indian government's assistance for the development of the Palali Airport in the Northern Province as Sri Lanka's third international airport. He said Chennai-Jaffna flights have commenced after 40 years, and there are plans underway to extend the air services connecting the cities of Bangalore, Cochin, Mumbai and Hyderabad.<br />''<br />''The Minister thanked the Indian Government for sharing intelligence in addressing the rise of terrorism and extremism. He said under the new Sri Lanka leadership, they remain hopeful in cooperating with India towards sustainable peace and security in the region through collaborations.</span><br />