President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a State visit to India from December 15 (today) till 17 at the invitation of President of India, Droupadi Murmu. This is the first bilateral official visit undertaken by President Dissanayake after his assumption of office in September this year.
The President is scheduled to meet Indian President Murmu and hold bilateral discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian dignitaries on a range of bilateral issues of mutual and regional interest during the landmark visit. Enhanced Indo-Lanka connectivity will be a key pillar of the wide-ranging talks.
He will also meet Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, whom he had previously met in New Delhi and Colombo. President Dissanayake previously visited India, as an aspiring Presidential candidate, on an official invitation extended by the Government of India.
President Dissanayake will also participate in a business event in New Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka. India is already one of the biggest investors in Sri Lanka. He will visit Bodh Gaya, one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India, as part of the visit. Annually, thousands of Sri Lankans go on pilgrimage to these sacred sites, while India tops overall tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka, with the Ramayana Trail becoming immensely popular among Indian tourists. He will also place emphasis on enhancing people-to-people contact during his visit.
The highlight of his visit will be the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering a gamut of subjects focussing on economic development. India has also indicated its willingness to convert a couple of loans provided to Sri Lanka to the status of grants which do not have to be repaid. This is likely to include the loan given for the signals development project of the Northern railway. Another agreement will cover the Indian-led solar power project in Sampur.
However, officials said that the proposed Indo-Lanka oil pipeline and the MILCO issue will not be covered during the present visit. Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a central place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
President Dissanayake’s visit will further advance and consolidate the long-standing multi-faceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. He will be accompanied on this visit by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Labour Minister Prof. Anil Jayantha.
