NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo on Friday and stressed deepening the ties with the island nation.
During his day-long visit, less than a fortnight after Dissanayake was sworn in, Jaishankar also met Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, his counterpart Vijitha Herath, Sajith Premadasa, and Leader of the Opposition from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party and former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Jaishankar is the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the National People’s Power (NPP) government led by Dissanayake came to power on September 23.
Sri Lanka is India’s key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a special place in its initiatives such as ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy.’
“I was honoured to call on President Anura Dissanayake in Colombo. Conveyed warm greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi. Appreciate his warm sentiments and guidance for the India-Sri Lanka relations. Discussed ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties for the benefit of people of two countries and the region,” Jaishankar said on Friday.
“On security and defence, the meetings brought our interests of both nations. President reiterated that Sri Lankan territory would never allow to be used in a manner inimical to India’s security interests,” he said, adding, “Discussions focused on boosting cooperation in multiple sectors.”
Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. “The importance of continued bilateral collaboration in mutually beneficial issues was also discussed,” Dissanayake said after meeting Jaishankar.
Jaishankar also spoke about facilitating Indian investments and job creation in Sri Lanka as well as expanding flow of Indian tourists. In April 2022, the island-nation declared its first-ever sovereign default since gaining Independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial crisis led the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to quit office in 2022 amid civil unrest.
