New Delhi, December 17 (UITV)- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held important talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake on Monday, in which increasing cooperation between the two countries in various fields was discussed. During this, the Sri Lankan President expressed gratitude to India and said that India provided immense support especially during Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis. He also assured that Sri Lankan land will not be used against India.
Sri Lankan President Dissanayake said after the talks, “I have given a clear assurance to Prime Minister Modi that we will not allow our land to be used against India’s interests in any way. Our cooperation with India will definitely increase and I want to assure my continued support to India.”
President Dissanayake, who arrived in India on Sunday evening on his first official foreign visit after assuming office, expressed gratitude to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi for the support and warm hospitality he received in India. He emphasized that his visit has paved the way for new possibilities of cooperation and development between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi also said on this occasion that the security interests of the two countries are interlinked and therefore we should work towards further strengthening our security and defense cooperation. He confirmed that the Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries will be finalized soon, which will further strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi also spoke in detail about India’s support to Sri Lankan development in the joint press conference, saying, “India has provided loan assistance and grant assistance of $ 5 billion to Sri Lanka so far. Our projects are going on in all 25 districts of Sri Lanka and these projects are always determined on the basis of the development priorities of the partner countries.”
Prime Minister Modi also announced that 200 students in universities in Jaffna and Eastern Province will be given monthly scholarships from next year, which will promote cooperation in the field of education between the two countries. Apart from this, he informed that 1500 civil servants of Sri Lanka will be trained in India in the next five years, which will help in improving Sri Lankan administrative capacity.
During this, both the leaders also emphasized the need to increase cooperation in the areas of trade, education, health and infrastructure development. Prime Minister Modi said that the relations between India and Sri Lanka are not limited to only material help and financial assistance, but it is a symbol of a deep and strong relationship between the people of the two countries.
President Dissanayake also underlined that his visit has not only strengthened bilateral relations, but it has also taken the two countries to new heights of trust and cooperation. The President of Sri Lanka also said that he is fully committed to take his economic and developmental relations with India to the next level.
After this visit and talks, it has become clear that the scope of cooperation between India and Sri Lanka will no longer be limited to economic and security matters, but it will also work to strengthen the social and cultural relations of the two countries. This meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Dissanayake is a positive and optimistic sign for the future of both the countries and is an important step towards further deepening the relations between the two countries.
