For the first time, India and Sri Lanka are set to sign a major defence cooperation pact during Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to the island nation next week.
Modi’s visit, a follow-up to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s trip to New Delhi last December, will be an opportunity for New Delhi to bolster relations in crucial areas ranging from defence and security to energy and infrastructure.
The two sides are also likely to firm up a raft of other bilateral agreements, including one on restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt, following talks between Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka in Colombo on April 5.
In the second and final leg of his two-nation tour, Modi will arrive in Sri Lanka on the evening of April 4 on a three-day trip after concluding his visit to Thailand.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on defence cooperation is expected to be inked, and it is being signed for the first time.
“Sri Lanka is an integral part of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the relationship, based on mutual trust and goodwill, has stood the test of time,” Misri said.
A joint statement issued during Dissanayake’s visit said the Indian side would provide defence platforms and assets to augment Sri Lanka’s military capabilities, and the two countries would intensify collaboration through joint exercises and maritime surveillance.
The enhanced cooperation comes against the backdrop of India’s concerns about China’s increasing military presence in the Indian Ocean region, including Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.
Modi’s visit will focus on promoting investments and deepening connectivity — physical connectivity, digital connectivity, energy connectivity and boost cooperation in various other domains, he said.
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PM Modi will be the first foreign leader to be hosted by Disanayaka in his capacity as the Sri Lankan president. Modi last travelled to Sri Lanka in 2019.
