India, Sri Lanka reaffirm commitment to enhanced bilateral cooperation

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also known as AKD, who is on his first overseas trip since being elected in September, during their meeting on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to enhanced bilateral cooperation.

Modi hosted Dissanayake at Hyderabad House, where the two leaders held bilateral "comprehensive and fruitful" talks, according to a statement from the Indian Foreign Ministry.

Dissanayake arrived in India on Sunday evening, beginning a three-day state visit.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, both leaders agreed to step up political engagement at the leadership and ministerial levels.

It said they “reaffirmed that the India-Sri Lanka bilateral partnership is underpinned by deep-rooted cultural and civilizational ties, geographical proximity, and the people-to-people relations.”

They also discussed establishing a high-capacity power grid interconnection between the two countries and agreed to work with the UAE to build a multi-product pipeline from India to Sri Lanka to provide affordable and reliable energy.

In the defense sector, the leaders underscored the “common challenges faced by the two countries in the Indian Ocean Region” and reaffirmed their commitment to “work together in countering traditional and nontraditional threats as well as to ensure a free, open, safe, and secure Indian Ocean Region,” the statement said.

Disanayaka reiterated Sri Lanka's stated position of not allowing its territory to be used in any way that would jeopardize India's security or regional stability, the statement said, adding that India expressed its continued commitment to working closely with Sri Lanka to advance its defense and maritime security needs.

The two leaders agreed to provide defense platforms and assets to strengthen Sri Lanka's defense capabilities.

“The leaders noted that the effective and timely implementation of agreed measures, as outlined, would deepen the bilateral ties between the two countries and transform the relationship into a new standard for friendly and neighborly ties,” the statement said.

President Disanayaka invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Sri Lanka at his earliest convenience.