The Indian side used the meeting with Dissanayake, who is on his first foreign visit after becoming President in September, to raise New Delhi's concerns about the visit of Chinese surveillance vessels to Sri Lanka. Modi also urged Dissanayake to fulfil the aspirations of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority by fully implementing the constitution and conducting provincial council elections.
Dissanayake's decision to make India the destination for his first foreign visit is significant because his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party has for long been known for its anti-India stance. The National People's Power (NPP) coalition led by the Left-leaning President also swept the general elections in November.
Noting that Dissanayake's visit is imparting new momentum to bilateral ties, Modi told a joint media interaction after his talks with the Sri Lankan leader: "We have adopted a futuristic vision for our partnership. We have emphasised on investment-led growth and connectivity in our economic partnership."
Dissanayake said he gave Modi an assurance that "we will not allow our land to be used in any way that is detrimental to the interests of India".
A joint statement said Dissanayake reiterated Sri Lanka's "stated position of not permitting its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability".
This story is from the December 17, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the December 17, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times.
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