Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake landed in New Delhi on Sunday for a three-day visit to India. This marks his first foreign trip since he took office in September.
Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, welcomed him in a post on X. “Warm and special welcome! President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of Sri Lanka was warmly received by MoS Dr. L. Murugan as he arrived in New Delhi. This is President Dissanayake’s first bilateral visit to India since assuming the Presidency. An opportunity to further deepen India-Sri Lanka ties and add momentum to the people-centric partnership,” the post said.
Warm and special welcome!
President @anuradisanayake of Sri Lanka was warmly received by MoS @Murugan_MoS as he arrived in New Delhi. This is President Disanayaka’s first bilateral visit to 🇮🇳 since he assumed Presidency.
An opportunity to further deepen 🇮🇳-🇱🇰 ties and add… pic.twitter.com/RI3zMBF2aG
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 15, 2024
During his visit, Dissanayake will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The talks will focus on bilateral issues of mutual interest.
Strengthening Economic Ties
President Dissanayake will attend a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between the two nations. He will also visit Bodh Gaya as part of his itinerary.
India considers Sri Lanka its closest maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The visit aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Cooperation Across Sectors
The visit follows an invitation extended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his trip to Colombo earlier this year. In Colombo, Jaishankar conveyed India’s commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation under the SAGAR framework.
During their earlier meeting, Jaishankar and Dissanayake discussed initiatives in energy, LNG supply, solar electrification of religious sites, health, and dairy development. They agreed on projects to support economic sustainability and generate new revenue streams.
President Dissanayake emphasized the importance of India’s economic support. He highlighted Sri Lanka’s potential for exporting renewable energy to India, which could lower production costs and boost resources in Sri Lanka.
The visit is expected to deepen the India-Sri Lanka partnership and strengthen ties across multiple sectors.
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