China’s Xi pledges more Belt and Road cooperation with Sri Lanka under new leader

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to facilitate more cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative with Sri Lanka under the leadership of newly-elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

In a message to Dissanayake after his swearing-in ceremony, Xi expressed Beijing’s readiness to “make steady and long-term progress” in the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership for mutual assistance and to “better benefit” the two peoples.

The Marxist-leaning Sinhalese politician defeated outgoing President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa in the first elections held since Sri Lanka went bankrupt in April 2022.

In the weekend polls, Dissanayake secured more than 5.74 million votes, representing 55.89% of the valid votes, in the run-off presidential elections, defeating Premadasa.

Dissanayake, the ninth executive president of the island nation, has promised to fulfill the “responsibility to usher in a new era of renaissance” for the country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Sri Lanka’s newly elected president.

“I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region,” Modi said on X.

Extending “sincere felicitations” to Dissanayake, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wished him “every success.”

“I… look forward to working” with the president to further strengthen Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations, Sharif said on X.

Congratulating Dissanayake, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said: “As close neighbors, I am eager to work with you to further strengthen the historic friendship between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.”