Recently, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended his thanks to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their steadfast support to Sri Lanka. Reflecting on his meeting with Jaishankar during the latter’s visit to Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe highlighted the significant progress made through bilateral cooperation.
During Jaishankar’s visit, several housing projects under the Indian Housing Project were inaugurated in regions such as Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Matale. Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of these projects, which were coordinated by Jeevan Thondaman and S. Thondaman, benefiting the Indian-origin Tamil community.
In a post on social media platform X, Wickremesinghe detailed these events, noting the inauguration of houses and the establishment of a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. The main centre is located in Colombo, with a sub-centre in Hambantota, along with unmanned installations along Sri Lanka’s coastline. Additionally, houses from model villages in Colombo and Trincomalee were handed over during this visit.
The President acknowledged the critical support from India, highlighting the continuous assistance provided by Prime Minister Modi and Minister Jaishankar. This visit underscored the significant position Sri Lanka holds in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy and SAGAR Vision.
This trip marked Jaishankar’s first bilateral visit as the External Affairs Minister following his re-appointment. His visit to Colombo followed President Wickremesinghe’s recent attendance at Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in India.
During his visit, Jaishankar had important discussions with President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Wickremesinghe hosted a one-on-one meeting with Jaishankar at the President’s Office, which was followed by delegation-level talks. Key Sri Lankan ministers, including Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, and Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, were present.
Jaishankar also engaged in discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, further strengthening the diplomatic ties between the two nations.
