Rajnath Singh Meets Sri Lankan President, PM, Pledges Joint Regional Safety Efforts

Colombo: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and discussed ways to further strengthen the defence, economic, maritime and regional partnerships between the two countries.

Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day visit, becoming the first Indian defence minister to visit the island nation in 38 years.

"The two leaders held substantive discussions on issues covering the entire spectrum of the multi-faceted partnership between the two nations, characterised by traditionally warm relations and mutual trust," the Indian defence ministry said.

Singh conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's best wishes to Dissanayake and underlined that the citizens of the two countries share deep friendship based on strong historical and civilisational links and extended felicitations on the successful completion of two years of his government.

"The two sides reaffirmed that as civilisational twins, close neighbours & maritime partners, India and Sri Lanka would continue to work together for their development & welfare of the people while working jointly to ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region," the ministry said in a statement.

Sindh later described his meeting with Dissanayake as "warm and extremely productive."

President Dissanayake recalled his interactions with PM Modi and reiterated that Sri Lanka would never allow its territory to be used for any activities inimical to India's security interests, the statement said.

He also expressed his gratitude for the relief assistance provided by India as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu during Cyclone Ditwah and the comprehensive rehabilitation package extended by New Delhi to facilitate reconstruction and rehabilitation work.

Singh said that, as a closest friend and neighbour of Sri Lanka, India considered it not a favour, but a responsibility to assist as the first responder and would continue to do so in the future as well. Both leaders virtually inaugurated three Bailey Bridges constructed by the Indian defence forces, the ministry said.

The two sides also exchanged MoUs on upgradation of L70 Guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force and cooperation between the National Cadet Corps and National Defence Colleges of both countries.

The MoU on upgradation of six L70 guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force falls under an Indian government grant. The upgradation of these air defence guns will significantly strengthen the air defence architecture of critical assets in Sri Lanka, the statement said.

A separate statement issued by the President's Office said the two leaders held extensive discussions on further strengthening the existing defence, economic, maritime and regional partnerships between India and Sri Lanka.

Dissanayake briefed Singh on the national program recently launched by Sri Lanka to combat drug trafficking and sought India's fullest support in its efforts to combat the menace. "The President also expressed hope that India would extend its fullest support towards extraditing Sri Lankan drug traffickers currently serving prison sentences in India," the statement said.

Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka would continue to extend its support towards maintaining peace in the Indian Ocean region.

"He emphasised that Sri Lanka makes decisions taking into consideration both national and regional interests, and that, as a sovereign state, Sri Lanka enters into various agreements with countries around the world while remaining mindful of regional security," the statement added.

Singh appreciated Sri Lanka's contribution towards maintaining the Indian Ocean region as a peaceful zone free from conflict.

The President expressed confidence that the new agreements concluded today would contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces as well as further strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries, his office said.

"Special attention was also paid to the fisheries issue. Discussions focused on securing India's support to safeguard the principal livelihood of Sri Lankan fishermen and on the two countries working together to resolve the issue," it said.

Later in the day, Singh called on Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and exchanged views on a range of issues related to development cooperation, education and the close cultural and civilisational ties between India and Sri Lanka.

"I underlined that as sister democracies with shared heritage, India and Sri Lanka should continue to work on a shared developmental vision for the peace and prosperity of our region," he said in a post on X.

Singh underscored the importance of capacity building as one of the important pillars of cooperation. He conveyed that through this visit, he hopes to impart further momentum to the historic and multi-faceted India-Sri Lanka partnership, said an official statement.

Singh emphasised that PM Amarasuriya is one of the role models for women not only in Sri Lanka but also in India, describing her as a symbol of women's empowerment and 'Nari Shakti'.

The minister also visited the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) memorial in Colombo and paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the call of duty.

The IPKF was a military contingent sent by India to Sri Lanka in July 1987 as part of efforts to disarm the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organisation.

He also visited the sacred Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo and sought the blessings of Lord Buddha.

During the visit, Singh said he also interacted with the senior military leadership of Sri Lanka, many of whom have been trained in India and share a close bond with Bharat.