Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s House in Colombo on his official visit to Sri Lanka yesterday (20).
This visit marks the first diplomatic exchange between India and Sri Lanka following the inauguration of the new government. Upon arrival, Minister Jaishankar was received by Sagala Ratnayaka, Senior Advisor to President on National Security and Chief of Staff. Subsequently, President Wickremesinghe held bilateral discussions with Minister Jaishankar to review the progress of ongoing development projects between the two nations.
During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe and Minister Jaishankar jointly unveiled a digital plaque commemorating the inauguration of 106 houses constructed under the Indian Housing Project in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale districts. Additionally, they handed over 24 houses from model villages in Colombo and Trincomalee to their respective beneficiaries.
The highlight of the event was the formal commissioning of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), comprising a main centre at the Colombo Naval Headquarters, a sub-centre in Hambantota, and unmanned installations in strategic locations across Sri Lanka’s coastline. This initiative underscores the deepening maritime security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
The meeting was attended by a distinguished delegation including the Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry PC, President’s Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.
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and gas exploration projects. Additionally, it was announced that construction of the Sampur Solar Power Plant is set to commence in July 2024.
Additionally, plans were unveiled for the Sampur Solar Power Plant to commence construction in July 2024.
Discussions also cantered on enhancing the efficiency of projects supported by the Indian government aimed at bolstering Sri Lanka’s liquid milk industry and fertilizer production.
Furthermore, talks covered projects under India’s support for developing Trincomalee and expanding the Kankesanthurai port.
The meeting also addressed the ongoing development of Jaffna Airport and Colombo Airport with Indian assistance, as well as the acceleration of Sri Lanka’s unique digital identity card project, marking a significant step towards the country’s digitisation efforts.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, National Security Senior Adviser on Head of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, along with an Indian delegation including Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, were also present at the event.
