By Aroonim Bhuyan
New Delhi, Aug 6. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on August 5 paid an official visit to Sri Lanka, where he held wide-ranging discussions with the country’s top leadership to review bilateral ties, accelerate the implementation of key development projects and reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation under its Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision MAHASAGAR.
The visit was Misri’s first standalone trip to Sri Lanka as Foreign Secretary. During his engagements, he called on President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. He also met Foreign Secretary Aruni Ranaraja, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, and separately interacted with representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) communities.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides conducted a comprehensive review of ongoing bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction over the progress of several infrastructure and development initiatives.
They welcomed the conclusion of agreements on two Indian rupee-denominated Lines of Credit worth $250 million for railway projects and $100 million for livestock and other priority requirements. The agreements between EXIM Bank of India and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance were exchanged in the presence of President Disanayaka.
The two countries also noted that reconstruction of damaged houses and construction of permanent bridges under the $450 million Ditwah Reconstruction Package would begin shortly. The package includes a $100 million grant component. Progress has also been made in supplying medical equipment for the relocated Deniyaya Hospital, installing medical kiosks, equipping educational institutions and establishing an island-wide disaster warning system. Rehabilitation of the Northern Railway corridor under a $5 million Indian grant has also been completed, allowing train services to resume.
India and Sri Lanka agreed to expedite the implementation of major energy cooperation projects, including the electricity grid interconnection, the Sampur solar power project and the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub. They also decided to speed up the tender process for Sri Lanka’s Unique Digital Identity project and initiate discussions on a memorandum of understanding for the rehabilitation and modernisation of Kankesanthurai harbour through a $61.5 million Indian grant.
The two sides also agreed to conclude memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the earliest for expanding the 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service, a commitment made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025. They further noted the successful implementation of India’s capacity-building initiative, under which more than 1,000 Sri Lankan professionals have received training during its first year.
Misri also urged Sri Lanka to accelerate projects benefiting the Indian Origin Tamil community, particularly the construction of 10,000 houses announced during Prime Minister Modi’s 2017 visit.
Economic cooperation also figured prominently in the discussions. Both countries welcomed the launch of negotiations to update the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement following preliminary talks held in June and noted the successful conclusion of negotiations on the proposed India-Sri Lanka Social Security Agreement, which is expected to be signed after the completion of internal procedures.
The Foreign Secretary also raised the issue of Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka, seeking the early release of both fishermen and their boats. He stressed the need for a humanitarian approach while bilateral mechanisms continue to address the long-standing fisheries dispute.
During the discussions, Misri also reiterated India’s expectation that Sri Lanka would hold Provincial Council elections at the earliest and fully implement constitutional provisions aimed at addressing the aspirations of the Tamil community.
He welcomed President Disanayaka’s earlier assurance that Sri Lankan territory would not be allowed to be used in any manner prejudicial to India’s security, describing it as an important basis for deepening the comprehensive development partnership between the two neighbours.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit reaffirmed India’s commitment to implementing the vision outlined in the December 2024 India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement and the agreements signed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025.
