PM Arrives In Sri Lanka, Visit Follows BIMSTEC Summit In Thailand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Colombo on Friday for a three-day visit, during which India and Sri Lanka are expected to sign key agreements and hold discussions covering defence, energy, digital infrastructure, health and trade sectors. The visit follows PM Modi’s participation in the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand.
It also marks the first foreign visit to Sri Lanka since the change in political leadership. President Dissanayake visited New Delhi in December 2024, his first state visit abroad after taking office. Ahead of the visit, both PM Modi and President Dissanayake said on X that they looked forward to strengthening the bilateral partnership and exploring new areas of cooperation.
Eight memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit. Indian officials said the agreements would support greater collaboration in the digitalisation, health, defence and energy sectors, including the supply of cheaper energy to the island nation. On Saturday, PM Modi will receive a guard of honour at Colombo’s Independence Square, followed by formal talks with President Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.
Earlier today, in a clear signal of deepening ties between New Delhi and Colombo, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha told news agency PTI that bilateral relations “have never been better before.” He said that PM Modi’s visit to the island nation would build on the “very comprehensive” joint statement issued in December 2024 and help shape a fresh agenda for cooperation.
Jha said a defence cooperation pact is likely to be signed during PM Modi’s visit, formalising existing engagements such as joint exercises, training programmes, and the supply of military hardware. While he did not disclose specific details, Jha said the objective was to place current defence cooperation within a structured framework.
“Maritime security is an important element, and it is well recognized that we are in the same region and our security is intertwined and interlinked. That is something based on which we continue to work,” Jha was quoted as saying by news agency PTI in its report. “India and Sri Lanka are the closest neighbors, maritime neighbors in particular, and have a very wide-ranging relationship. It is very important for us to cooperate given our history, geography, our cultural ties, and people to people ties,” he said.