Anura Kumara Dissanayake is visiting New Delhi on a state visit. Following victories in the presidential and parliamentary elections, he has selected India as his first bilateral visit.
On Monday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake thanked India for its economic support during the island nation’s financial meltdown and crucial assistance in restructuring bilateral debt. Dissanayake is on his first bilateral visit to New Delhi after assuming power in Colombo.
We faced an unprecedented economic crisis 2 years ago, and India supported us immensely in coming out of that quagmire. It has also helped us enormously after that, especially in the debt-free structuring process,” said Dissanayake, noting that his country secures a significant place in India’s foreign policy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Sri Lanka’s bilateral projects with India are “always” based on Colombo’s “development priorities.” Issuing a joint press statement, the Prime Minister said that while India had so far given 5 billion dollars as a line of credit and grant assistance to Sri Lanka, cooperation existed in all 25 districts of the island nation.
The prime minister also announced new projects, including aid for rehabilitating the signaling system at the Maho-Anuradhapura railway section and Kankesanthurai Port. He also announced monthly scholarships to 200 students in the universities of Jaffna and Eastern Province. In the next five years, India will also train 1500 civil servants from Sri Lanka, PM Modi announced.
