What is on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka later this week?
The Indian Prime Minister is coming to Sri Lanka on the invitation from our President. It will be a great opportunity for us, I think it is a great opportunity for both countries.
PM Modi arrives in Sri Lanka on the night of April 4, after participating in the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand. The following day [April 5, 2025], there will be a Guard of Honour for the Indian Prime Minister at Independence Square. From our side, the President, Prime Minister, and senior Ministers will participate. The Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, NSA Doval and some other officials are also expected to participate.
Soon after, they will arrive at the Presidential Secretariat, to a short welcome ceremony. A delegation level meeting headed by the Sri Lankan President and Indian Prime Minister will be held, followed by the signing of eight MoUs and a couple of virtual openings – the launch of the Dambulla Cold Storage plant and the Sampur solar power project in Trincomalee, and as well as in some religious sites.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will confer the ‘Mitra Vibhushana’ honour on PM Modi. [The title was instituted in 2008 and is conferred on Heads of State and Heads of Government of countries with which Sri Lanka has friendly relations “in appreciation of their friendship towards and solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka.”] The leaders will address the media after that. Later, PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) memorial and pay respects. In the evening, there will be a banquet at the President’s residence.
The next morning [April 6, 2025], our President and PM Modi will go to Anuradhapura [ancient capital in North Central Province]. They will offer prayers at the Sri Maha Bodhi [Bo tree considered sacred by Buddhists], following which they will go to the Anuradhapura Railway station to inaugurate the signal system for the northern railway line. PM Modi will leave for Rameswaram from there. It is a one-and-a-half-day programme.
Could you elaborate on the MoUs being signed during PM Modi’s visit?
Yes, eight MoUs are to be signed. One is on energy grid connectivity between the two countries, the second is to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub – that’s a tripartite agreement among India, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates. Then, we have one on digital initiatives. The fourth is in the area of defence – although some in Opposition are raising issues, it is only to do with training programmes and receiving some equipment. Nothing in the agreement is harmful for Sri Lanka. The remaining MoUs are related to cooperation in the health sector, development projects in the Eastern Province and debt restructuring.
Our Cabinet has already approved these. I think similar approvals have been obtained on the Indian side and in the U.A.E. as well. Many of these are initiatives that were discussed in the past, there have been many discussions since, several amendments, and changes. It is a long-term process. The grid connection proposal, for instance, has been discussed for over a decade now. Our new government has taken swift action after evaluating these proposals.
Many of these initiatives appear to be building on discussions during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to New Delhi in December 2024. How do you see India-Sri Lanka relations shaping up after the NPP [National People’s Power] came to power?
Historically, especially in the 1980s, there was an issue. Now the world has changed, India has also changed, Sri Lanka, too, has changed. With the shift in global politics, we too have changed our stance. After coming to power, the NPP government began building close ties with India. We are continuing to do that and strengthening our relationship. India is our closest neighbour, and we share historic and civilisational ties. Buddhism came from India, we have close [religious and cultural] links.
You say your government is forging close ties. Meanwhile, President Dissanayake and the government have taken a firm position against the Adani power project, citing high tariffs. Do you think this will impact FDIs in general and India ties in particular, as some in Sri Lanka fear?
With regard to the Adani power project, pricing is the only issue. The other Adani project is going on very well – the West Container Terminal project at the Colombo Port [executed by Adani Ports] is very much on track. So, the criticism from some in Opposition that our position affects FDIs or our India ties is incorrect. There has been no such impact, foreign investments are continuing to come in. As far as the power project is concerned, they [Adani Green] sent us a letter again, three weeks ago, indicating their willingness to reopen negotiations. We have stated our position on the need to lower the tariff, and we are open to discussion based on that.
Right, so you note that your government’s ties with India are on a strong footing. You also point to the changing global political landscape and world order. Sri Lanka is located in a strategically important region. Does your government feel pressured to balance India and China?
Actually, there is no pressure, but we are balancing [ties]. If you consider the global geopolitical situation, everyone knows very well that China, India, the U.S., and Russia are playing a big role. Therefore, as a small country, we must have a good relationship with all those countries. We have good relations with China, and we have good relations with India, U.S. and Russia as well. These days we are distributing fertilizer to our farmers, that is from a huge Russian grant. In our assessment, the U.S.’s new tariff policy will not affect small economies like ours in any major way.
We see value in being part of regional bodies such as the BIMSTEC [Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation] and IORA [Indian Ocean Rim Association] that we chair. We are also connecting with ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]. These are very important to our economy, our regional security and maritime partnerships.
There is no pressure from any country. As a new government, our foreign policy is maintaining good ties with all our partners, keeping in mind the best interests of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan people. We will always pay attention to our national integrity and sovereignty.
During President Dissanayake’s visit to New Delhi, the joint statement made no reference to the Tamil question that India has historically taken a keen interest in. Does this signal a shift in India’s engagement with Sri Lanka?
The Indian Government understands very well that Sri Lankan people are not only Tamil people, and that there are Sinhalese and Muslim people as well, and that we are a multiethnic country. Therefore, India has been giving its attention to all Sri Lankan people. It is a good change.
Otherwise, a majority of our Sinhalese people had a negative impression of India, because of that reason [India’s historic involvement in the ethnic conflict]. Now that has changed, and there is a greater appreciation among Sinhalese that India recognises and supports all Sri Lankans. There is a greater understanding on both sides.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in February, you referred to the mandate your government received from all parts of the country, including the north and east where Tamils live. You spoke of elections creating a contract between citizens and the government. What does this contract look like, especially with the Tamil people who voted for you in large numbers?
Our government has taken a firm stand to build national unity in our country. That is why the Tamil people from the north and east voted for us. Tamil people in the hill country too voted for us. We are committed to ensuring equal rights of all our people regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. We are building national unity step by step, while protecting the political-, economic-, and human rights of all our people. We are taking more steps to do that. If you consider the past, whether we like it or not, there were many troubling chapters in our history, both in the north and south. We must learn from the past, ensure there is no recurrence. The Tamil and Muslim people have placed their trust on us, and we are confident of taking forward our efforts with the support of all our people.
Your government has promised a new Constitution. What is the timeline you are looking at?
From the very beginning, our government has been prioritising economic recovery. We inherited an economy that had collapsed and needed urgent action. Because of that, we had to pay attention to efforts towards economic recovery and we have been taking all the necessary steps to overcome that challenge. Simultaneously, we will start the process of introducing a new Constitution in consultation with all the people. We will do it in the near future. I cannot say what the timeline will be, but we will address it after overcoming the immediate economic challenges. The local government election is coming up, which is important for our democracy.
The Provincial Council elections are also scheduled to be held later this year, aren’t they?
Yes, that is correct.
