Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to a 3-day official visit from 15 December to 17 December to India on Sunday evening. This marks his first foreign visit after being elected as president in September. L. Murugan. The Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting received Mr. Dissanayake at the Delhi airport
The visit so far:
Sri Lanka’s president on Sunday held “fruitful” discussions with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan was also held for the Sri Lankan president in the morning on Monday.
Mr. Dissanayake held far-reaching talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday on a variety of issues at Hyderabad House, Delhi. The two leaders warmly greeted each other and were engaged in talks on boosting bilateral engagement in areas of trade, investment, energy, and maritime security. Both countries are also expected to sign four pacts, including one on cybersecurity.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also went to Rajghat and paid his tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He is also scheduled to visit Bodh Gaya. He is also to attend a business event in New Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between Sri Lanka and India.
Sri Lanka & India relations: Focus points:
- ‘Neighborhood First’: India’s Neighborhood First Policy (NFP) focuses on building stronger relationships, promoting regional cooperation, and addressing shared issues with its immediate neighbors. India has always been serious about its relations with its neighboring countries, Sri Lanka being the most important one among them, and it has always been on the radar of India when it comes to managing the island region and expanding its influence in Asia and globally.
- Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR): – SAGAR which was launched in 2015, is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean, which focuses on the deepening of economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbors and assists in building their maritime security capabilities. The MEA said on Friday, “Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region and holds a central place in Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ and India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy.”
- Tamil Community in Sri Lanka: The 13th amendment that was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement in 1987 has marked the most serious points of discussion between the two nations. Since then, the Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of this amendment that provides for the devolution of power to it.
- China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region (ICR): Chinese grip around the Indian Ocean and island region is also the key issue that India is seeking to redress with the help of its neighboring countries. Whether it is strategic or economic, the influence can become a threat to the sovereignty of India and the peace of the region. To prevent this from happening, India and Sri Lanka have been expanding their overall defense and strategic ties amid concerns over China’s attempts to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean.
The road ahead:
The relations between India and Sri Lanka are far-reaching. “The visit of President Dassanayake to India shall further strengthen the multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” said the MEA spokesperson.
Dassanayake, the new Sri Lankan president, who defeated the traditional political parties ruled by political elites, attaches to the bilateral ties that India is about to share with Sri Lanka.
Dissanayake has not supported the implementation of the 13th amendment, which is a long-standing demand of the Indian government, but it is a great time as the two countries are looking for new strategic ties and mutual collaborations.
This will be an opportunity for India to hear about Dissanayake’s plans, firsthand, on Indian investment, views on regional security, and his approach towards Tamil minorities rights in the country, among other issues.
