Your Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests,
Friends from the Media,
Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Namaste.
It is an honor to be here in New Delhi on my first official visit abroad since assuming the Presidency of Sri Lanka. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the warm hospitality and the opportunity to further enhance the historic relationship between our nations.
This visit comes at a pivotal moment for both Sri Lanka and India, as our respective peoples have given us a clear mandate through democratic processes to drive development, foster social equity, and build a future of shared prosperity.
I take immense pride in the historic mandate entrusted to me and the National People’s Power, a unifying choice by Sri Lankans from all regions and walks of life. This unprecedented support reflects a shared aspiration for a new political culture that values inclusivity, democracy, and sustainable progress.
India has always been a steadfast partner in Sri Lanka’s journey. From the wisdom of the Dharma to developmental partnerships, the bonds between our nations have stood the test of time. My visit today reaffirms this enduring connection and underscores our commitment to deepening it further.
Prime Minister Modi and I had an engaging and comprehensive dialogue, reviewing the current state of our partnership and exploring avenues for future collaboration. I expressed my profound gratitude for India’s timely support during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in 2022 and for standing by us during our debt restructuring efforts. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s unwavering commitment to Sri Lanka’s sustainable economic recovery.
We agreed to further enhance our political and economic ties, including trade and investments in key sectors. Our discussions also covered cooperation in areas such as energy, security, digital governance, education, agriculture, and social welfare. I deeply admire India’s achievements in digital governance and look forward to leveraging your expertise to build a similar infrastructure in Sri Lanka.
Cultural connections remain a cornerstone of our partnership, and we have resolved to deepen people-to-people engagement, particularly through tourism and cultural exchanges. On global and regional platforms, I recognize India’s leadership in promoting the interests of the Global South. I sought India’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s chairmanship of the IORA and its aspirations to join BRICS.
We also addressed sensitive issues, such as the challenges posed by illegal, unregulated fishing and environmental degradation caused by harmful practices like bottom trawling. I called for sustained collaboration to achieve equitable, lasting solutions.
Today, we formalized bilateral agreements in the areas of capacity building and the avoidance of double taxation, further strengthening our institutional and economic cooperation.
I assured Prime Minister Modi of Sri Lanka’s steadfast commitment to regional security and stability, emphasizing that our territory will not be used in ways that undermine India’s security.
In conclusion, I reaffirm Sri Lanka’s dedication to expanding its partnership with India. I extend my invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Sri Lanka, as we build on the strong foundation of our shared history and mutual aspirations. Together, I am confident we can usher in a new era of cooperation and progress.
Thank you.
– Anura Dissanayake
President of Sri Lanka
~ PMD ~
