'India will always stand with Sri Lanka', PM Modi tells finance minister Basil Rajapaksa

Calling Sri Lanka "a close and a friendly neighbour", PM Modi spoke about the central role that Sri Lanka occupies in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its S.A.G.A.R (Security and Growth for all in the Region) doctrine.

New Delhi:Reiterating India's 'neighbourhood first' policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told the visiting Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa that India would always stand with Sri Lanka, the statement that must come as a shot in the arm for the island nation grappling with an economic crisis.

Calling Sri Lanka "a close and a friendly neighbour", PM Modi spoke about the central role that the country occupies in India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy and its S.A.G.A.R (Security and Growth for all in the Region) doctrine. The PM reiterated that India would continue to stand with the friendly people of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Finance Minister is on a two-day visit to India as the island nation witnesses the massive crunch. This is his second visit to India in the last three months. Thanking India for providing much-needed help to Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa briefed the PM on initiatives being taken by both countries to increase bilateral economic cooperation, and conveyed his thanks for the support extended by India for the Sri Lankan economy.

The two dignitaries discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relationship during the meeting. The areas of discussion included agriculture, renewable energy, digitalization, tourism and fisheries among others. Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Sri Lanka's high commissioner Milinda Moragoda were also present at the meet.

Finance Minister Rajapaksa noted the deepening of people-to-people relations between both countries, including in the cultural sphere. The Prime Minister pointed to the potential for increasing tourist flows, including through the joint promotion of Buddhist and Ramayan tourism circuits.

"Had a good meeting with Sri Lanka's Finance Minister B Rajapaksa. Glad to see our economic partnership strengthen and investments from India grow," PM Modi tweeted later in the day.

In the past few months, India has been aiding Sri Lanka as it remains crippled by the economic crisis triggered majorly by the pandemic which dealt a body blow to the country's tourism sector.

Earlier in January, Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had virtually met to deliberate on the matter. Last year, India had sent 100,000 kgs of nano nitrogen fertilizer to Sri Lanka after the island nation barred the use of contaminated Chinese fertilizers, causing a great embarrassment for China. Following this incident, China had forced Sri Lanka to pay for this contaminated supply.