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The go to follows PM Modi’s participation within the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand. It additionally marks the primary overseas go to to Sri Lanka because the change in political management. President Dissanayake visited New Delhi in December 2024, his first state go to overseas after taking workplace. Throughout that go to, each nations launched a joint assertion outlining precedence areas for cooperation.
Forward of the go to, each PM Modi and President Dissanayake stated on X that they regarded ahead to strengthening the bilateral partnership and exploring new areas of cooperation.
Eight memoranda of understanding are anticipated to be signed throughout the go to. Indian officers stated the agreements would assist better collaboration within the digitalisation, well being, defence and vitality sectors, together with the availability of cheaper vitality to the island nation.
PM Modi is accompanied by Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Nationwide Safety Adviser Ajit Doval, and Overseas Secretary Vikram Misri.
On Saturday, PM Modi will obtain a guard of honour at Colombo’s Independence Sq., adopted by formal talks with President Dissanayake on the Presidential Secretariat.
Earlier at this time, in a transparent sign of deepening ties between New Delhi and Colombo, Indian Excessive Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha advised information company PTI that bilateral relations “have by no means been higher earlier than.” He stated that PM Modi’s go to to the island nation would construct on the “very complete” joint assertion issued in December 2024 and assist form a contemporary agenda for cooperation.
Jha stated a defence cooperation pact is prone to be signed throughout PM Modi’s go to, formalising current engagements resembling joint workout routines, coaching programmes, and the availability of navy {hardware}. Whereas he didn’t disclose particular particulars, Jha stated the target was to put present defence cooperation inside a structured framework.
He emphasised that maritime safety stays a central pillar of the India-Sri Lanka defence partnership.
“Maritime safety is a crucial ingredient, and it’s effectively recognised that we’re in the identical area and our safety is intertwined and interlinked. That’s one thing based mostly on which we proceed to work,” Jha was quoted as saying by information company PTI in its report.
Referring to the Sri Lankan Presiden’s go to to India in December 2024, Jha stated that PM Modi’s go to would construct on that momentum and introduce new parts to the bilateral relationship.
“India and Sri Lanka are the closest neighbours, maritime neighbours specifically, and have a really wide-ranging relationship. It is extremely necessary for us to cooperate given our historical past, geography, our cultural ties, and folks to individuals ties,” he stated.
“There may be an understanding between the 2 nations that we have now a shared future forward of us,” he added.
