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Ranil and Modi pledge to strengthen bilateral ties, promote connectivity
View(s):- Two leaders adopt Vision Document outlining key areas of cooperation
In what was described as a remarkable moment in Indo-Lanka ties, the two countries’ leaders committed this week to further strengthen bilateral ties with enhancing connectivity, people to people ties and more integrated economic cooperation between the two nations in the near future.
On his maiden state visit to India on Thursday as Head of the State since he assumed duties last year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored progress witnessed under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and commended the strides made in economic, infrastructure, and technological domains while stressing that India’s growth serves as a positive force for the entire region, including the Indian Ocean region.
Stressing that Sri Lanka has an important place in both India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and “SAGAR” vision, Indian Prime Minister Modi noted that the security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are intertwined. “And therefore, it is essential that we work together keeping in mind each other’s safety and sensitivities,”
President Wickremesinghe and his delegation pose for a picture with India's President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapathi Bhawan in New Delhi
The two leaders also adopted a vision document titled “Promoting Connectivity, Catalysing Prosperity: India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision” that is focused on strengthening Maritime, Air, Energy and people-to-people connectivity between the people of both the 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,” Indian Premier Modi said at a joint press briefing held at Hyderabad House, New Delhi following bilateral discussion between the two delegations.
President Wickremesinghe also appreciated India’s timely, unprecedented, and crucial support last year during Sri Lanka’s trying times. “I have conveyed to PM Modi and to the government and people of India our profound appreciation for the solidarity and support rendered to Sri Lanka in what was undoubtedly the most challenging
period in our recent history,”
The two leaders also agreed to commence talks on the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) that will open new possibilities of trade and economic cooperation for both the countries.
In addition to enhancing air connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, both parties decided to increase business and the movement of people by starting Passenger Ferry Services between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka.
“We have decided that the work of connecting the electricity grids between the two countries will be expedited. A feasibility study will be done for the petroleum pipeline between India and Sri Lanka. Apart from this, it was also decided to check the feasibility of a land bridge. Fintech connectivity will also increase with the agreement signed today to launch UPI in Sri Lanka,” Indian Premier Modi said.
Following the bilateral discussions with the two leaders, at least five Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement were signed: Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) in the field of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, MoU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy, Memorandum of Cooperation for economic development projects in Trincomalee, Network to Network Agreement between NIPL and Lanka Pay for UPI application acceptance in Sri Lanka and Energy Permit for Sampur Solar Power Project.
The ongoing pressing issue of Indian fishermen engaging in bottom trawling was also taken up during the bilateral discussion. Indian Prime Minister Modi said that both parties “agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter,”
The Sri Lankan delegation also took up the case of ensuring innocent passage for Sri Lankan fishermen to Arabian sea via India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Both parties agreed to continue discussion in this regard through Joint Working Commissions.
As both countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations coinciding with the Tamil community of Indian origin completing 200 years of their arrival in Sri Lanka, Indian Premier Modi announced assistance and projects worth Rs 3000 billion (INR 750 million) for community development.
| Vision document in brief Following the bilateral discussions, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi adopted on Friday a vision document titled “Promoting Connectivity, Catalysing Prosperity: India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision” focusing on strengthening Air, Maritime, Energy, Power, Trade, Economic, Financial and People-to-people connectivity between the two countries. The two leaders agreed that India’s sustained and rapid economic growth, and technological advancement coupled with the current phase of stabilisation and economic recovery, reconstruction and growth in Sri Lanka, provides a unique opportunity to forge a closer and deeper bilateral economic partnership between the two countries and enhance growth in the Indian Ocean Region. To this end, the leaders underlined the critical importance of promoting and strengthening connectivity in all its dimensions as the key enabler. Accordingly, both leaders have decided: Maritime connectivity: a. To cooperate in development of ports and logistics infrastructure at Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai with an aim to consolidate regional logistics and shipping, as per mutual understanding b. To resume passenger ferry services between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and work towards early resumption of ferry services between Rameshwaram and Talaimannar, and other mutually agreed places. Air connectivity: a. That resumption of flights between Jaffna and Chennai has enhanced people-to-people ties and agreed to further expand it to Colombo as well as explore connectivity between Chennai and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and other destinations in Sri Lanka; b. To encourage and strengthen investment and cooperation in civil aviation, including augmentation of airport infrastructure at Palaly for greater economic benefits to the people; Energy and Power connectivity: a. That conclusion of MoU on cooperation in developing renewable energy would develop Sri Lanka’s significant renewable energy potential, including offshore wind and solar, thus enabling Sri Lanka achieve its target of generating 70% of power requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030; b. To establish a high capacity power grid interconnection between India and Sri Lanka to enable bidirectional electricity trade between Sri Lanka. c. To expedite implementation of understanding reached on Sampur Solar power project and LNG infrastructure and explore cooperation in green hydrogen and green ammonia through use of innovative technologies with an aim to increase renewable energy mix in power generation of Sri Lanka. d. That ongoing cooperation in development of Trincomalee Tank Farms is a reflection of our endeavour to develop mutually beneficial cooperation projects in Trincomalee area, and agreed to further develop Trincomalee as a national and regional hub of industry, energy and economic activity on the basis of mutual understanding; e. To cooperate for construction of a multi-product petroleum pipeline from Southern part of India to Sri Lanka with an aim to ensure affordable and reliable supply of energy resources to Sri Lanka; f. To undertake mutually agreed joint exploration and production of hydrocarbons in Sri Lanka’s offshore basins with an aim to develop Sri Lanka’s upstream petroleum sector. Trade, Economic and Financial Connectivity: a. That salience of bilateral trade and economic engagements was significantly demonstrated during COVID pandemic and economic crisis of Sri Lanka, and agreed to facilitate mutual investments through, inter alia, policy consistency, promoting ease of doing business and fair treatment of each other’s investors; b. To facilitate investments from India in the divestment of Sri Lankan State-owned Enterprises and in manufacturing/economic zones in various sectors in Sri Lanka; c. To undertake discussions on Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement with an aim to comprehensively enhance bilateral trade and investments in new and priority areas; d. That decision to designate INR as currency for trade settlements between the two countries has forged stronger and mutually-beneficial commercial linkages, and agreed to operationalise UPI based digital payments for further enhancing trade and transactions between businesses and common people. e. That India’s rapid digitalisation is an important force-multiplier for ongoing transformational changes in India, both in economic development and governance, and agreed to leverage India’s Digital Public Infrastructure in accordance with Sri Lanka’s requirements and priorities towards effective and efficient delivery of citizen-centric services to the people of Sri Lanka; People-to-people Connectivity: a. To promote awareness and popularise India’s Buddhist circuit, and Ramayana trail as well as ancient places of Buddhist, Hindu and other religious worship in Sri Lanka for enhancing tourism b. To explore cooperation between educational institutions on both sides including through establishment of new higher education and skilling campuses in Sri Lanka in accordance with Sri Lanka’s requirements and priorities c. To expand cooperation between research and academic institutes in areas of mutual interests such as agriculture, aquaculture, IT, business, finance and management, health and medicine, earth and marine sciences, oceanography, space applications, as well as history, culture, languages, literature, religious studies and other humanities; and d. To establish land connectivity between Sri Lanka and India for developing land access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, propelling economic growth and prosperity in both Sri Lanka and India, and further consolidating millennia old relationship between the two countries. A feasibility study for such connectivity will be conducted at an early date.
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