Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently on an official visit to India, had met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi a short while ago.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently on an official visit to India, had met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi a short while ago.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised the impressive economic, infrastructure, & technological advancements made under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and emphasized that India’s growth would have positive impacts on both the neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean region.

President Wickremesinghe expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian PM Narendra Modi and the government and people of India for their unwavering support and solidarity during Sri Lanka’s most difficult times in recent history.

The Sri Lankan President has reaffirmed his dedication to achieving economic revival, sustainable development & justice for all in Sri Lanka and engaged in discussions about a comprehensive plan for reconciliation and power-sharing, extending an invitation to all party leaders to reach a consensus. PM Modi expressed his support and goodwill for these initiatives.

After the delegation-level talks with Indian Prime Minister, President Wickremesinghe asserted that Sri Lanka is steadfastly pursuing economic reforms, which are already showing positive results in stabilizing the country. The measures taken have led to a resurgence of confidence both within the nation and from external observers in the progress of Sri Lanka, the PMD notes.

While highlighting the mutual agreement between India and Sri Lanka on a joint vision for their economic partnership, focusing on improved connectivity, President Wickremesinghe also  acknowledged the deep historical and cultural connections between the two nations, emphasizing that this presents an ideal opportunity for further enhancing connectivity in the future.

The PMD further notes :

President Wickremesinghe also emphasized the significance of modern-day connectivity in achieving the economic partnership’s vision & highlighted the recent resumption of Chennai-Jaffna air services as a vital step towards improving Indo-Lanka air connectivity. Both countries reached an agreement to enhance aviation & ferry services, aiming to foster economic growth & enhanced connectivity to bolster cooperation in tourism and cultural relations.

President Wickremesinghe & PM Modi discussed developing Trincomalee into an energy hub with India’s support, aligning with Sri Lanka’s goal to make it a centre for industry and economic activities. Constructing a multi-product petroleum pipeline from southern India to Sri Lanka to ensure an affordable & reliable supply of energy resources for Sri Lanka was also discussed showcasing the commitment to bolstering energy cooperation & regional development.

President Wickremesinghe’s visit to India aims to strengthen trust & lay the foundation for the future of Indo-Lanka relations with potential in collaborating with India on green & renewable energy projects. The MoU for Cooperation in Renewable Energy is particularly significant as it will create a high-capacity power grid interconnection between Sri Lanka and India, facilitating seamless two-way electricity trade & promoting energy collaboration to enhance economic cooperation & foster sustainable development in the region.

President Wickremesinghe expressed that his visit to India offers a valuable chance to assess & enhance the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. He emphasized the significance of leveraging the strong geographical and civilizational ties between the two nations to build trust and confidence, aiming for mutual prosperity in the contemporary world.

President Wickremesinghe highlighted the crucial role of cooperation in the education sector in the bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka & emphasized the significance of establishing new higher education institutes with India’s assistance to enhance the knowledge and skills of the youth, enabling their active participation in the nation’s development endeavours.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that ferry services between Talaimannar-Rameswaram & Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai will add more impetus to sea travel between India & SL. Examining other forms of connectivity between SL & India could become a further catalyst to boost economic growth.

Earlier this morning, India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval had called on President Wickremesinghe in New Delhi.