PM Modi arrives in Colombo; aims to boost ties between India-Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Friday evening on a three-day visit to explore ways to bolster overall bilateral ties, especially in areas of energy, trade, connectivity, digitalisation and defence. 

In a special welcome, five top ministers, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar received Modi at the airport. 

The prime minister landed in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). 

Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday. 

Following the meeting, India and Sri Lanka are expected to come out with around 10 outcomes including boosting cooperation in areas of defence, energy security and digitalisation. 

“We will have the opportunity to review progress made on the joint vision of 'Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future' and provide further guidance to realise our shared objectives,” Modi said on Thursday in a statement before embarking on the two-nation tour. 

The joint vision was adopted during the Sri Lankan president's visit to New Delhi three months back. 

An agreement on defence cooperation is likely to be among seven pacts expected to be finalised besides three more outcomes, people familiar with the matter said. 

If signed, the MoU on defence cooperation is set to signal a major upward trajectory in India-Sri Lanka defence leaving behind the bitter chapter relating to India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago. 

The prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time the island nation is showing signs of recovery from the economic stress. The country was reeling under a massive economic crisis two years back and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion. 

After the talks between Modi and Dissanayake, two documents facilitating India's assistance to Sri Lanka on debt restructuring and another one on currency swap are likely to be made public. 

In an interview with PTI, Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Santosh Jha said New Delhi's assistance to the island nation was “unprecedented” in terms of India's assistance to any country in the world. 

“It was a huge bit of assistance and we are continuing to work with Sri Lanka in providing it assistance in various areas and that is much appreciated here,” Jha said. 

“India was the first to provide financial assurances for the IMF to take a decision to provide Sri Lanka with the extended fund facility that is currently under operation in Sri Lanka,” he said. 

“We also were the first to provide assurances on our side to be ready to restructure the debts. We joined the Official Credit Committee along with France and Japan to co-chair it,” the high commissioner added. 

Jha, recalling the Sri Lankan president's visit to India in December last, said the agenda of cooperation will be taken forward during PM Modi's trip to the island nation. 

“We are taking forward the elements of that understanding and adding a new agenda to the relationship because you all know that India and Sri Lanka are closest of maritime neighbours,” he said. 

The relationship is very important for us given our shared history, geography, and our cultural ties, he added. 

“There is an understanding between the two countries that we have a shared future ahead of us,” he said. 

In Colombo, Modi and Dissanayake will dedicate several projects that are being built in that country with India's assistance.

The two leaders will also witness the virtual ground breaking of the Sampur solar energy project. 

This is in many senses going to be a milestone in the bilateral partnership, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said last week. 

Modi is also scheduled to meet several political leaders. 

On April 6, Modi and Dissanayake will travel together to the historic city of Anuradhapura where they will pay their respects at the Mahabodhi temple. 

They will also jointly inaugurate two India-assisted projects there.