India says it has an abiding interest in the security of Sri Lanka and remains committed to Sri Lanka’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that India has always supported efforts to preserve Sri Lanka’s character as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious society in which all citizens can live in equality, safety and harmony, and prosper and fulfill their aspirations.
“India will continue to remain engaged with Sri Lanka and offer our support in a spirit of partnership and cooperation. With investments in each other’s countries in infrastructure, manufacturing, health, education, science and technology, we are positioning ourselves well for further deepening our cooperation,” he said.
He was speaking at an event hosted by the High Commission of India today at India House in Colombo where the Indian expatriate community in Sri Lanka celebrated the 71st Independence Day of India.
“Sri Lanka is India’s one of the most valued partners. There has been continuous momentum in bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka in recent times,” the High Commissioner said.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka as the Chief Guest for the International Day of Vesak in May 2017, at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena, took Sri Lanka and India’s relationship to new heights.
“We consider the MoU for cooperation in joint economic projects signed during the visit of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to India in April this year as an important milestone in our bilateral economic engagement. The MoU identifies specific projects for cooperation in Sri Lanka in sectors such as energy, power, roads, ports, railways etc. We are closely working with Sri Lankan leadership for timely implementation of these projects,” he added.
He also said that India and Sri Lanka continue to enjoy a strong defence partnership and common security concerns, especially the protection of important sea lanes in the immediate maritime neighbourhood, guide the bilateral defence engagement, marked by regular high level exchange of visits, joint training and exercises as well as ship visits.
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette
