Our land will not be used against India… Talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Dissanayake
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Disanay is visiting India. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi on 16 December. He said that this was my first foreign visit after becoming the President. Anura Kumar Disanay said that I was very happy that I could come to Delhi on my first state visit. He said that I have assured the Prime Minister of India that we will not allow any harmful use of our land against India. Cooperation with India will definitely flourish and I want to assure our continued support to India.
During the joint press conference of both the countries, PM Modi said 'I welcome President Dissanayake to India. You chose India for your first foreign state visit. It is a matter of great pleasure. Today's visit is creating new momentum and energy in our relations. In the economic cooperation of both the countries, we have emphasized investment based development and connectivity. We have decided together that physical, digital and energy connectivity will be important pillars of our partnership. Work will be done for power grid connectivity and multi petroleum pipeline.
India helped in times of economic crisis
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake said that we faced a major economic crisis about 2 years ago and India fully supported us in getting out of that quagmire. Even after this, India has helped us a lot in terms of debt relief. Sri Lanka holds a very important place in India's foreign policy. PM Modi assured us of full support and he also assured us that he will always protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka.
When Pali language was given classical language status in India, it was celebrated in Sri Lanka too. The ferry service and Chennai-Jaffna flight connectivity have boosted tourism and strengthened our cultural ties. We have decided to start a ferry service between Rameswaram and Talaimannar in India after the successful launch of the Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai ferry service.
We fully agree that our security interests are interlinked. We have decided to finalise the Defence Cooperation Agreement soon. Cooperation on hydrography has also been agreed upon. We believe that the Colombo Security Conclave is an important platform for regional peace, security and development. Under this, cooperation will be enhanced on topics like maritime security, anti-terrorism, cyber-security, fight against smuggling and organised crime, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. People-to-people relations between India and Sri Lanka are linked to our civilisations.