It was a colourful send-off for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he wrapped up his two-day visit to Sri Lanka on Monday.<br/> <br />Abe visited the historic Kelaniya temple on the outskirts of the capital, Columbo.<br/> <br />He was greeted by dozens of children waving Japanese flags.<br/> <br />He offered lotus flowers to a statue of Buddha and was blessed by Buddhist monks.<br/> <br />He stopped at the temple on the way to the airport, where a new passenger terminal will be built with the help of a $330 million Japanese development loan.<br/> <br />Abe is the first Japanese leader to visit Sri Lanka in 24 years.<br/> <br />At a business forum on Sunday he said he and Sri Lanka's president agreed on improving their relationship from a traditional friendship to a new partnership between two maritime countries.<br/> <br />He also expressed hope for more cooperation in the agriculture sector.<br/> <br />Abe's South Asia tour, which also included a stop in Bangladesh, is an attempt to assert Tokyo's interest in a region wh
