Sri Lanka-India Ties An Opportunity, Not Threat: Sajith Premadasa
In April this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Colombo, he had met Premadasa and lauded his efforts in strengthening bilateral ties.
India-Sri Lanka: Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka, Tuesday said bilateral ties between both countries should be seen as a “opportunity” and not as “threat” even as Colombo faces economic, social, political, cultural and religious challenges.
Premadasa, who is on a three-day official visit to India, said Sri Lanka suffered immensely due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, Covid pandemic and economic collapse.
“Sri Lankan-India relationship should be seen as an opportunity and not as a threat. It’s an opportunity to attain mutual benefits, to attain prosperity, an opportunity to establish connectivity at all levels that accrue competitive and comparative advantages on both our countries,” said Premadasa while giving his first public address during the ongoing visit, at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
He also said, “At a time when Sri Lanka is facing a plethora of challenges-Challenges that are economic, social, political, cultural, religious. It is indispensable that our relationship with India functions in a manner that facilitates Sri Lanka extricating itself from its present quagmire.”
Premadasa added, “Sri Lanka underwent triple tragedies in recent times, the Easter Sunday terror attack, the Corona Covid health disaster and bankruptcy due to ill-advised economic policies. These triple tragedies have led to immense suffering, stress and created new levels of poverty which stands 40 per cent of the population.”
He said people of Sri Lanka are currently suffering from “consumption poverty, savings poverty, investment poverty, poverty in all its facets.”
“At a time when Sri Lanka is facing these enormous challenges, the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship should be devoid of parochial thinking. We need to think anew and we need to think afar. Our relationship should be results-based, evidence-based, ensure that both our nation-states are able to work together,” averred Premadasa.
‘Sri Lanka Will Work Towards India’s National Security Interests’
Premadasa Tuesday also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
Pleased to meet Leader of Opposition @sajithpremadasa of Sri Lanka.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 4, 2025
Discussed India - Sri Lanka relations and our Neighbourhood First policy. India will always be supportive of progress and development in Sri Lanka.
🇮🇳 🇱🇰 pic.twitter.com/2jR0zR2J1L
In April this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Colombo, he had met Premadasa and lauded his efforts in strengthening bilateral ties.
“Sri Lanka at all times will work towards ensuring the national security interests of India – a global power, a super power that should have its rightful place in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a permanent member,” he underscored.
He said Sri Lanka does not believe in the ideology of “winner takes it all” and that both countries “have to share prosperity, have to ensure that all in society are winners through our transactions and relationships.”
“Sri Lanka has a single-minded approach to come out of its present level of bankruptcy. It’s not an easy task. It’s full of challenges… We face a pivotal challenge cometh 2028 when repayment of our foreign loans and debt comments,” he said.
He said, therefore, Sri Lanka has to enhance its foreign exchange reserves, improve its remittance levels and also attract more foreign direct investments.
On the issue of implementation of the 13th amendment concerning the Tamil reconciliation issue, Premadasa said, “We fervently believe in the full implementation of the 13th amendment. That’s our policy stance and we will work towards that.”
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