During bilateral talks with his Maldivian counterpart President Mohamed Nasheed at the State Guest House President Rajapaksa discussed enhancing bilateral relations between the two nations and the assistance to Maldives and thanked the Maldivian President for the support being extended to Sri Lanka by Maldives.

President Rajapaksa laid the foundation stone for a concrete road to be constructed joining the islands of Maradhoo-Feydhoo with Addu City across the Sunset Bridge.

The Sri Lankan government will finance the construction of the 4.5 kilometer road at a cost of ten million US dollars. This is the longest road being constructed in Maldives with financial assistance from a foreign country.

The assistance will further consolidate the cordial relations existing between the two countries, the leaders agreed.

President Rajapaksa declared open a monument of a lion built to commemorate Sri Lanka's participation in the 17th SAARC Heads of States Summit. Eight monuments have been erected to commemorate the eight countries participating in the two-day Summit that is to begin Thursday.