Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9 (IANS): Sri Lanka Saturday said it hoped India will vote for it in the upcoming UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

India had voted for a US-sponsored resolution last year that pulled up Colombo on issues related to human rights and the re-settlement of Tamils displaced by the military conflict.

Sri Lankan Minister for Public Administration W.D.J. Seneviratne told reporters here that there had been "a remarkable improvement in the human rights situation" in his country.

"We expect India will consider (the issue) differently," he said.

"Today citizens in (the northern and eastern) provinces can freely approach the civil administration to sort out their issues," he said, referring to the former war zone.

The minister said bonds between India and Sri Lanka were growing from strength to strength.

"India is one of the major exporters to Sri Lanka and in the last year trade between the two countries crossed $5 million. Besides, India is helping to build a power plant in our country," he said.

He said Sri Lanka and Kerala had a lot of similarities in culture and food.

The minister spoke hours after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ended a two-day pilgrimage tour of India.