Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday held a discussion on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra held a press briefing hours after PM Modi and Wickremesinghe held comprehensive bilateral talks.
Asked if the Chinese movement in the Indian Ocean was discussed between PM Modi and Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe, the Foreign Secretary said, “We are neighbours. We have a long-standing and comprehensive relationship, and it is natural to speak about their concerns.”
“When India and Sri Lanka sit, they don’t only talk of opportunities that exist in economic partnership in the maritime domain but they also take a comprehensive stock assessment of the challenges they face in the maritime domain. These challenges were brought up appropriately during the discussion,” Kwatra added.
During the press briefing, Kwatra emphasised that both leaders outline a common vision to strengthen bilateral relations with a main focus on rebuilding the Sri Lankan economy. The Foreign Secretary reiterated how India and Sri Lanka are exploring Air connectivity from Southern India to Trincomalee.
“The Prime Minister and the President of Sri Lanka during their discussions reviewed the entire spectrum of our bilateral relations and they both acknowledged that the partnership and our cooperation have been a source of great strength in overcoming the recent difficulties and challenges in Sri Lanka,” Kwatra said. “The two leaders also outlined a common vision of theirs to further develop the bilateral relationship in coming years centred around enhanced, extended and deeper connectivity and deeper economic partnership,” he added. The Indian diplomat emphasised that the two leaders focused on enhancing the connectivity between India and Sri Lanka in areas such as maritime, air, energy, power trade and economic connectivity, financial, and digital connectivity and also resulting in people-to-people engagement.