PM Modi Holds Discussion On Boosting Economic, Strategic Cooperation With Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe

PM Narendra Modi holds a discussion with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Delhi over a wide range of issues.

PM Narendra Modi Meets Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Source : ANI Twitter

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday held a meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed on boosting overall economic and strategic cooperation, reported PTI. As the meeting began, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that it is an opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing India-Sri Lanka ties.

"An opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing India-Sri Lanka ties as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year," Bagchi said on Twitter.

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe reached India on Thursday on his maiden two-day visit since he assumed office. The Ministry of External Affairs tweeted, "Warm welcome to President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka on his maiden visit to India since assumption of the Office of President. Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport. The visit will further boost the multi-pronged India-Sri Lanka partnership."

External affairs minister S Jaishankar called on Wickremesinghe on Thursday following his arrival in India. 

"Honoured to call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka during his India visit," Jaishankar tweeted.He added, "Confident that his meeting with PM Narendra Modi tomorrow will further strengthen our neighbourly bonds and take forward India’s Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies."

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting with Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka pic.twitter.com/g1qubFJGnO

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023

Notably, as per PTI, India already extended financial assistance worth around USD 4 billion to Sri Lanka which includes lines of credit for purchases of food and fuel last year when it was hit by the economic crisis. New Delhi also provided guarantees to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help the country secure a USD 2.9 billion bailout package, the agency stated.

Meanwhile, India plans to once again push for the implementation of the 13th Amendment in the Sri Lankan constitution that will address the issue of giving equal rights to the minority Tamil population there, ABP Live has learnt. Just days before his visit to India, Wickremesinghe met a delegation of leading Tamil parties in Colombo where the 13th Amendment issue was discussed apart from other key issues such as giving state pardon to former LTTE insurgents, who continue to remain under detention there, sources told ABP Live.

According to the sources, the meeting was convened by Wickremesinghe keeping in mind his upcoming visit to India. New Delhi wants Colombo to adhere to “complete implementation” of the 13th Amendment and not take some “piecemeal” gestures that “will do more harm than good”, said an official who is involved in the talks.

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