Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda
Rajapaksa held a virtual summit on Saturday. During the meet, Modi and
Rajapaksa expressed satisfaction over the robustness of defence cooperation and
agreed to further strengthen maritime security ties, news agency PTI quoted
Amit Narang, Joint Secretary for Indian Ocean Region Division of the Ministry of External Affairs as saying.
India and Sri Lanka are working to strengthen bilateral financial cooperation. India has extended $400 million currency swap facility to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to assist with the economic recovery and tackle COVID-19 related disruptions, Narang said.
Also Read | PM Modi holds talks with Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa
The MEA further said that the outcomes of the summit were substantial as the outcomes of talks will help in setting an ambitious agenda to deepen ties between the two countries. Modi also announced grant assistance of USD 15 million for the promotion of Buddhist ties with Sri Lanka.
Technical discussions on Sri Lanka’s request for deferment of
debt repayments were also held, the MEA said. On the fishermen issue, Modi and
Rajapaksa agreed to continue and strengthen the constructive and humanitarian
approach to it.
Also Read | PM Modi to address virtual UN General Assembly today
In talks with Rajapaksa, Modi emphasised implementing Sri
Lankan constitution’s 13th amendment to take forward the Tamil reconciliation issue. PM Modi called upon the new government in Sri
Lanka to work towards realising expectations of Tamils for equality, justice,
peace, dignity.
In the current COVID imposed restrictions, the successful conduct of the virtual summit reflects the high degree of commitment at the leaders level on taking forward the bilateral relations, said MEA on India- Sri Lanka virtual Bilateral Summit.
This is PM Modi’s first virtual engagement with a
neighbouring country and Rajapaksa’s first diplomatic engagement with a leader
of a foreign country after he was sworn in as PM on August 9.
