Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse departed from Colombo Saturday on a visit of India, his second visit to the large neighbor country since assuming office a year ago.

The presidential secretariat said Rajapakse left the Bandaranaike International Airport in the afternoon bound for New Delhi on a 5-day visit.

He is to make a keynote address at the Asian Mayors' Conference to be held in north India on Monday, officials said.

His visit is looked forward to in the context of concerns expressed by the Indian leaders on escalation of violence in the island's separatist armed conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Rajapakse will meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior government officials in Delhi.

Prior to his departure Rajapakse said that joint patrolling in the waters across the Palk Strait between the two countries would be discussed during his Indian visit.

The Sri Lankan leader's visit to India came closely on the heels of a visit to Colombo by the Indian foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.

Menon's visit early this week was aimed at conveying New Delhi's concern on the deteriorating security situation in the island.

Rajapakse's visit will be followed by a visit to New Delhi by his main political rival, the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who will leave Colombo on Monday for India.

Source: Xinhua