Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a historic and regal ceremonial welcome at Colombo's Independence Square, Sri Lanka, the first foreign guest to be accorded this honour since the Republic of Sri Lanka came into being. The event was attended by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who welcomed Modi onto the square. This is a reflection of the strengthening close relationship between India and Sri Lanka, reflecting their friendship of growing strategic affinity.
Modi's visit is immediately following his visit to the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. Although he is here in Sri Lanka for three days, he is set to engage in significant dialogue with President Dissanayake on how best to increase bilateral collaboration in defense, energy, and digitalization.
The meetings will yield roughly ten significant takeaways, including an agreement for defense cooperation as well as policy directions for continued participation in the energy sector.
India has led the way in assisting Sri Lanka in getting back on its feet economically, providing $4.5 billion in financial aid through its last economic crisis. Modi and Dissanayake will also launch certain India-funded projects and witness the virtual ground-breaking of the Sampur solar power project.
The visit is a significant milestone in enhancing India-Sri Lanka relations, particularly defence cooperation, aimed at overcoming the past complexities of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) deployment.
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