Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka on Friday, after attending the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, Thailand. After landing in Colombo during yesterday evening, he was received by a Sri Lankan delegation that included six Sri Lankan ministers including their foreign minister Vijitha Herath.
This latest visit makes PM Modi the first world leader hosted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government since it’s formation after last year’s election.
PM Modi gets conferred with Sri Lanka’s highest Civilian Award
Sri Lankan Government on Saturday, has conferred it’s highest civilian award “the Mithra Vibhushana Award” to PM Modi, saying that the award reflects the historic ties and deep friendship between the two countries. Receiving the award from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake PM Modi replied “It is an honour for me to be awarded the Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhushana by President Dissanayake,”. He also added that this award was also an honour for 1.4 billion Indians.
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Sri Lanka had introduced this award back in 2008. Before PM Modi, former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have also received this award in the past. The recipient of this award is conferred with a citation and a silver medal to be worn around the neck, studded and adorned with nine types of Sri Lankan gems and the symbols of a lotus, globe, sun, Dharma Chakra, moon and sheaves of rice.
The Key Agreements that are inked during this visit
A total number of 10 agreements were signed by both the parties in this visit, these agreements cover a wide range of topics such as defense cooperation, digital transformation, debt restructuring, healthcare, electric grid connectivity and an energy hub at Trincomalee. Additionally, the two leaders virtually inaugurated the groundbreaking of the Sampur power project, which will be developed with Indian assistance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that New Delhi would continue assisting the island nation’s economic recovery efforts.
A Landmark Defense deal was also signed between the two nations, this agreement would facilitate joint exercises, training and high-level exchanges. Speaking on this agreement, PM Modi thanked Dissanayake for his ‘sensitivity towards India’s interests’ and welcomed the significant defense cooperation agreement. He added that both sides had agreed to collaborate on the Colombo Security Conclave and enhance security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Dissanayake in his reply, reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment he made during his visit to New Delhi last December, assuring that Sri Lankan territory would not be used for any activities harmful to India’s interests.
The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to connect their electricity grids, enabling cross-border power trade. Additionally, a tripartite MoU involving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to transform Trincomalee into an energy hub, including the construction of a multi-product energy pipeline. Another agreement will facilitate the adoption of India’s digital platforms to support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s significance in India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and the MAHASAGAR vision, Prime Minister Modi announced a series of initiatives to support the country’s recovery from its most severe economic crisis. In 2022, India had already provided over $4 billion in financial assistance to help Sri Lanka navigate the downturn.
