Sri Lankan President to visit India on December 15-17

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will travel to India on December 15-17 for his after the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka.

Disanayaka will hold discussions with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral issues of mutual interest, according to the MEA.

“President Disanayaka will also participate in a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka. Further, he will visit Bodh Gaya as part of the visit,” per an official statement.

In October this year, during External Affairs Minister’s meeting with Disanayaka in Sri Lanka, the two discussed ongoing initiatives in the field of energy production and transmission, fuel and LNG supply, solar electrification of religious places, connectivity, digital public infrastructure, health and dairy development.

Disanayaka acknowledged that India’s economic support was critical to realise his vision of a prosperous Sri Lanka and meeting the aspirations of the people, a government release issued during Jaishankar’s visit pointed out.

Renewable energy

Sri Lanka is interested in exporting renewable energy to India, which it believes could help reduce production costs in the country and create additional resources. 

“Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a central place in Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” the statement noted.

The visit of President Disanayaka to India is expected to further strengthen the multi-faceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, it said.