Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his visit to India that the security interests and development of the two nations were intertwined and that it was crucial for them to cooperate while keeping in mind each other's safety and sensitivities. India and its debt-ridden neighbour Sri Lanka signed five agreements and released a bilateral vision document for economic cooperation.
Modi also expressed confidence that Sri Lanka would fulfill Tamil aspirations, notably by adopting the 13th Amendment, which ensures devolution of power, and holding provincial council elections, amid persistent concerns about the island nation's commitment to the cause of the Tamil minority. He stated that India wanted Sri Lanka to guarantee the Tamil community a life of dignity and respect.
Asserting that India stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of debt-ridden Sri Lanka in this hour of crisis, Modi said India would strengthen maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity between the people of both countries. “The vision is to accelerate mutual cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education and skill development. This is the vision of India’s long-term commitment towards Sri Lanka,” the PM said.
Modi reminded Sri Lanka not to permit the Chinese to conduct any action on its territory that could jeopardize India's security interests in his remark about the need to respect one another's sensibilities.
The leaders of India and Sri Lanka have agreed to improve their countries’ economic and energy ties, as well as consider building a land link between them. India’s support of nearly $4bn between January and July last year was critical for Sri Lanka after it almost ran out of dollars and sank into a financial crisis that left it struggling to fund essential imports including fuel and medicine.