In his message to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, President Mukherjee said the ties between India and Sri Lanka have matured over time to embrace all areas of contemporary significance and expressed confidence that the two nations' traditional bonds will "expand and flourish" to the mutual benefit in the years to come.

He offered India's best wishes for the "continued prosperity and well-being of the friendly people of Sri Lanka" under the leadership of new Sri Lankan President.

"On behalf of the Government and the people of India and on my own behalf, it gives me great pleasure to extend to Your Excellency and to the people of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka warm greetings and felicitations on the occasion of the 67th Anniversary of your Independence," the Indian President said.

"India and Sri Lanka are close neighbours with a long standing relationship of friendship and cooperation based on shared linguistic, religious and cultural traditions. These ties have matured over time to embrace all areas of contemporary significance. I am confident that our traditional bonds will expand and flourish to our mutual benefit in the years to come," he added.

Sri Lanka will celebrate the 67th Independence Day on Wednesday, February 4 to mark the freedom it gained in 1948 from the British colonial rule.