Finance
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the delegation level to discuss a wide range of issues concerning the bilateral relationship. PM Modi welcomed Wickremesinghe to Hyderabad House for talks, which provided an opportunity to strengthen the two countries’ long-standing ties.
“PM @narendramodi warmly welcomes President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka at the Hyderabad House ahead of the bilateral talks. An opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing-ties, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year,” the Ministry External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.
“Bolstering our ties with a close maritime partner. PM Narendra Modi and President @RW_UNP hold bilateral discussions. Talks will focus on promoting mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors and strengthening connectivity in all its dimensions between our two countries,” he added.
PM @narendramodi warmly welcomes President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka at the Hyderabad House ahead of the bilateral talks.
An opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing 🇮🇳-🇱🇰 ties, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. pic.twitter.com/Ee6kikEpjZ
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 21, 2023
Bagchi later tweeted that the conversations between Modi and Wickremesinghe covered a wide range of topics, including energy security, economic and financial relations, defense and security cooperation, and people-to-people ties.
Wickremesinghe began a two-day visit to India on Thursday, which is anticipated to reenergize bilateral relations.
During last year’s economic crisis, India contributed around USD 4 billion in financial aid to Sri Lanka, including lines of credit for purchasing food and petrol. New Delhi has also provided the International Monetary Fund (IMF) guarantees to help the country secure a USD 2.9 billion rescue package.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called Sri Lanka’s president on the first day of his tour. They talked on various bilateral issues between the two countries.
Honoured to call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka during his India visit.
Confident that his meeting with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will further strengthen our neighborly bonds and take forward India’s Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies.@RW_UNP pic.twitter.com/BiHsgVbhqG
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 20, 2023
At the weekly media briefing on the same day, MEA Spokesperson Bagchi said it is the first visit to India by a Sri Lankan leader since the island nation reeled under an economic crisis. “We Look forward to the visit to impart a new momentum to the relationship,” he said.
Bagchi described the Sri Lankan leader’s visit as “very important” during the briefing. “This is a critical visit. Sri Lanka is a neighboring country with which we have extensive and multifaceted relations. “I don’t want to prejudge the conversations that will take place,” Bagchi explained.
According to the MEA spokeswoman, India and Sri Lanka have discussed issues of tighter economic collaboration, especially how Indian economic progress might assist the island nation. He also mentioned security challenges, development cooperation, and new projects as areas of engagement, noting that India assisted Sri Lanka with its economic problems.
Source: IE
