Sri Lankan President Disanayaka begins 3-day India visit

New Delhi, Dec 15: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka arrived in India on Sunday on a three-day visit in his first foreign trip after assuming the top office in September.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with the Sri Lankan leader on Monday that is expected to focus on trade, investment, energy and maritime security.

The Indian side is also likely to convey to the Sri Lankan leader New Delhi’s expectations from Colombo to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation.

Disanayaka was received at the Delhi airport by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan.

In a post on ‘X’, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Disanayaka’s visit will be an opportunity to further deepen India-Sri Lankan ties and add momentum to the people-centric partnership.

“Warm and special welcome!” he said along with photos of the Union minister receiving Disanayaka.

The Sri Lankan leader will also meet President Droupadi Murmu.

Disanayaka is also scheduled to attend a business event in Delhi to promote investment and commercial linkages between India and Sri Lanka.

He is also scheduled to visit Bodh Gaya.

Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and holds a central place in Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

“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.

Issues relating to maritime security cooperation are likely to figure during Disanayaka’s visit, people familiar with the matter said.

India has been expanding its overall defence and strategic ties with Sri Lanka amid concerns over China’s attempts to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean.

The docking of the Chinese missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang’ at Hambantota port in August 2022 had triggered a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka.

Another Chinese warship docked at the Colombo port in August last year.

India has been supporting various capacity-building measures of Sri Lankan defence forces including providing indigenously constructed Offshore Patrol Vessels.