MEA CALLS THE VISIT OF THE SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT TO INDIA “VERY IMPORTANT…HAVE MULTIFACETED RELATIONS”
India said on Thursday that Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the country is significant because the two countries have significant, complex links.
Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said during the MEA weekly briefing on Thursday that “this is a very important visit, it’s a neighbouring country with whom we have very important relationships, we have multifaceted relations.”
On Thursday, the president of Sri Lanka will travel to India. Wickremesinghe will meet with both Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while in India.
The Sri Lankan President will discuss a range of topics of relevance to both countries with PM Modi and other Indian dignitaries.
This is Wickremesinghe’s first trip to India since becoming the president of Sri Lanka.
Arindam Bagchion, the official spokesperson for the MEA, stated on Thursday that he wouldn’t discuss the conversations that will occur during the visit. He did, however, add that India and Sri Lanka had a conversation on how the island nation may benefit from greater economic cooperation with India.
According to Bagchi, “We have addressed with Sri Lanka topics regarding how tighter economic ties and the expansion of our economy might benefit them.
He claimed that the two nations may address shared security concerns, shared development cooperation initiatives, and new investment endeavours.
Bagchi claimed that India had assisted Sri Lanka in overcoming its economic problems.
“As you are aware, we have already assisted them or have assisted them with their financial difficulties that occurred earlier this year, and I believe that this will serve as a solid foundation for moving our conversation ahead. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is in town for the first time in his capacity as leader. He has, of course, visited us frequently, and we eagerly anticipate his arrival to give our friendship fresh life.
The visit of the Sri Lankan president to India will further the already strong ties of friendship between the two nations and look into possibilities for increased connectivity and cross-sectoral collaboration that benefits both parties. According to a MEA official statement, Sri Lanka is a significant partner in India’s Neighbour First Policy and Vision SAGAR.
During his visit to India, Wickremesinghe will also have a meeting with the External Affairs Minister (EAM), S Jaishankar.
Last Monday, India reaffirmed its commitment to the people of Sri Lanka, saying that they could continue to use the USD 1 billion Indian credit facility to buy food, medicine, and other necessities for another year.
The relevance of India’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy and the substantial financial support of USD 4 billion offered by India to Sri Lanka last year were recently emphasised by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
According to the EAM, India was the first country to offer Sri Lanka assistance for debt restructuring and was instrumental in obtaining finance guarantees from the IMF.
