In his meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Indian PM Narendra Modi urged the Sri Lankan government to implement the 13th Amendment and ensure a life of dignity for Tamils residing in the country.
The Sri Lankan President is on his maiden visit to India since the assumption of the office of President. He was received by the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, at the airport on Thursday. He also met the Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, on the first day of his visit.
Ensure Dignity for Tamils, Implement the 13th Amendment
Indian PM Narendra Modi welcomed the Sri Lankan President at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi and held bilateral talks with him.
The two leaders held a press meet during which Modi said he took up the issue of reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan President.
Speaking at the press meet with President @RW_UNP. https://t.co/9lirjZ9aXo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 21, 2023
The Indian PM hoped that the Sri Lankan government would fulfil the Tamil community’s aspirations and ensure the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the holding of Provincial Council Elections. He urged the country to ensure a life of dignity and respect for Tamils.
The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution was passed after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord in 1987.
It aims at resolving issues of Tamils by devolving powers to all nine provincial councils in Sri Lanka. The Amendment paves the way for both Sinhalese and Tamil to be the national languages while preserving English as the link language.
Modi remarked that the community of Indian-origin Tamils was marking its 200th year of their arrival in Sri Lanka. He announced a package of 75 crore rupees (~$9.15 million) for various projects pertaining to the community.
Vision Document for Economic Partnership, UPI in Sri Lanka
The two countries signed an ambitious vision document for economic partnership to accelerate cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education, skill development, and connectivity.
The Indian PM said the vision is strengthening maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity between the two nations.
Honoured to call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka during his India visit.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 20, 2023
Confident that his meeting with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will further strengthen our neighborly bonds and take forward India’s Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies.@RW_UNP pic.twitter.com/BiHsgVbhqG
Modi added that talks on an Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement will begin soon.
Additionally, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to launch Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka. UPI has partnered with France, UAE, and Singapore for cross-border transactions.
PM @narendramodi says Sri Lanka has an important place in both India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR' vision. PM Modi congratulates President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe for successfully completing one year of his office. PM Modi also praised people of Sri Lanka… pic.twitter.com/UX9AkPFm6Y
— DD News (@DDNewslive) July 21, 2023
India Stands Shoulder-to-Shoulder with Sri Lanka
The talks between the two leaders focused on promoting mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors and strengthening connectivity in all its dimensions between the two countries.
Modi said the past year has been full of challenges for the people of both countries. He asserted that, as a close friend, India always stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the people of Sri Lanka, even during its current economic crisis. The Indian PM highlighted that Sri Lanka has an important place in India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
He commented, “We believe that the security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are intertwined. And therefore, it is essential that we work together keeping in mind each other’s safety and sensitivities.”