PM Modi arrives in Colombo to rousing welcome; his talks with Sri Lanka President set to produce key outcomes

The prime minister landed in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Colombo: India and Sri Lanka are expected to come out with around 10 ambitious outcomes including enhancing cooperation in areas of defence, energy security and digitalisation following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday.

Modi landed in the Sri Lankan capital this evening to a rousing welcome as five top Sri Lankan ministers, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar received the prime minister at the Bandaranaike airport.

"Landed in Colombo. Grateful to the ministers and dignitaries who welcomed me at the airport. Looking forward to the programmes in Sri Lanka," Modi said on 'X'.

The prime minister, who arrived here after concluding a two-day trip to Thailand, was accorded a warm welcome by a group of Indian-origin people at the Taj Samudra, the hotel he is staying.

Modi, on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, will be the first foreign leader to be hosted by Dissanayake in his capacity as the president. The prime minister last visited Sri Lanka in 2019.

The prime minister and the Sri Lankan president will hold one-on-one and delegation-level talks on Saturday which are expected to produce at least 10 outcomes including a defence cooperation agreement and frameworks for deeper engagement in the energy sector.

If signed, the MoU on defence cooperation is set to signal a major upward trajectory in India-Sri Lanka defence leaving behind the bitter chapter relating to India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago.

The prime minister's visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time the island nation is showing signs of recovery from the economic stress. The country was reeling under a massive economic crisis three years back and India extended financial assistance worth USD 4.5 billion.

After the talks between Modi and Dissanayake, two documents facilitating India's assistance to Sri Lanka on debt restructuring and another one on currency swap are likely to be made public.

The two sides are also expected to seal separate pact on cooperation in the digital domain.

Modi is also scheduled to lay a wreath at the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) memorial on Saturday.

In an interview with PTI, Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Santosh Jha said New Delhi's assistance to the island nation was "unprecedented" in terms of India's assistance to any country in the world.

"It was a huge bit of assistance and we are continuing to work with Sri Lanka in providing it assistance in various areas and that is much appreciated here," Jha said.

"India was the first to provide financial assurances for the IMF to take a decision to provide Sri Lanka with the extended fund facility that is currently under operation in Sri Lanka," he said.

"We also were the first to provide assurances on our side to be ready to restructure the debts. We joined the official creditor committee along with France and Japan to co-chair it," the high commissioner added.

Jha, recalling the Sri Lankan president's visit to India in December last, said the agenda of cooperation will be taken forward during PM Modi's trip the island nation.

"We are taking forward the elements of that understanding and adding new agenda to the relationship because you all know that India and Sri Lanka are closest of maritime neighbours," he said.

The relationship is very important for us given our shared history, geography, our cultural ties, he added.

"There is an understanding between the two countries that we have a shared future ahead of us," he said.

In Colombo, Modi and Dissanayake will dedicate several projects that are being built in that country with India's assistance.

The two leaders will also witness the virtual ground breaking of the Sampur solar energy project.

This is in many senses going to be a milestone in the bilateral partnership, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said last week.

Modi is also scheduled to meet several political leaders.

On April 6, Modi and Dissanayake will travel together to the historic city of Anuradhapura where they will pay their respects at the Mahabodhi temple.

They will also jointly inaugurate two India-assisted projects there.