NEW DELHI: India and Sri Lanka are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to elevate their defence cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the island nation next week.
The PM will head there after attending the sub-regional Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok on April 3 and 4.
PM Modi's state visit to Sri Lanka will be from April 4–6, at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and he will become the first foreign guest of the new government.
"An MoU on defence cooperation is expected to be signed during the visit. It is being signed for the first time," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
Both India and Sri Lanka had discussed at length the need for stepping up the defence and security ties during Dissanayake’s visit to India in last December.
"We completely agree that our security interests are interlinked. We have decided to conclude the defence cooperation agreement soon," PM Modi had said.
The robust diplomatic relations between the two neighbours are expected to get a further boost as PM Modi will be hosted by President Dissanayake in his capacity as Sri Lanka's President.
Modi will also launch the construction of a power project with the Sri Lankan President.
"This (proposed 120-megawatt venture in the northeastern coastal district of Trincomalee) in many senses, is going to be a milestone in the bilateral partnership," Misri told reporters in New Delhi.
"They will together dedicate several projects that are being built with Indian assistance in Sri Lanka and will also witness the exchange of several MoUs pertaining to energy connectivity, digitisation, health, and multisectoral grant assistance," Misri said.
During his stay in Colombo, PM Modi will meet other political leaders of the nation before travelling to Anuradhapura with Dissanayake for the inauguration of development projects implemented with Indian financial assistance.
In Anuradhapura, both leaders will pay their respects at the historic Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex in Anuradhapura. PM Modi had also visited the temple, which holds a special significance in India-Sri Lanka civilizational partnership, during his visit to the country in 2015.
The Indian government asserts that it has given the "highest priority" to the safety, security, and welfare of Indian fishermen and has consistently raised these issues through bilateral mechanisms, diplomatic channels, and various official interactions, including during the Prime Minister's recent meeting with the Sri Lankan President on December 16, 2024.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri acknowledged that this is a longstanding issue, stemming from the arrangements made in the mid-1970s when the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka was agreed upon by authorities at both the central and state levels.
