India extends $15 mn assistance to Sri Lanka for promoting Buddhist ties

A Buddhist temple in Galle

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said that India has announced USD 15 million grant assistance to Sri Lanka for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries.

"Testifying the long and civilization links and cultural heritage between the two countries, Prime Minister Modi announced grant assistance of USD 15 million for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries," Amt Narang, the Joint Secretary for Indian Ocean Region Division (IOR) of the MEA said on India-Sri Lanka virtual Bilateral Summit.

"This grant will help deepen people to people linkage between the two countries in the sphere of Buddhism," he added.

The MEA official also said that in the current COVID imposed restrictions, the successful conduct of the virtual summit reflects the high degree of commitment at the leaders' level on taking forward the bilateral relations.

During the summit, the two leaders also reviewed the entire range of bilateral matter and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common consensus.

"India will facilitate the visit of a delegation of Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka in the first inaugural flight to Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh," the MEA official said.

"Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa made a special mention of the Jaffna Cultural Centre, an iconic project built with Indian assistance. The Centre is almost ready and PM Rajapaksa extended an invitation to PM Modi to inaugurate the project," MEA said.

The Joint Secretary also said that PM Modi has expressed hope that the temporary restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan side on imports of some products will be relaxed soon.

"PM Modi expressed his hope that the temporary restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan side on imports of some products will be relaxed soon as this will also benefit the Sri Lankan economy and common people," MEA official said.

MEA official further said that External Affairs Ministers S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also took part in the meeting.