New Delhi/Colombo:
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has come to India on his first official foreign visit after assuming office. He reached India on Sunday and will stay till Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dissanayake met today at Hyderabad House in Delhi. On September 22 this year, leftist leader Dissanayake won the presidential elections in Sri Lanka, after which concern was expressed in the Indian media. He contested the presidential elections on behalf of the National People’s Power (NPP), an alliance of leftist parties. Its politics has been considered anti-India.
It was revealed in the Indian media that Dissanayake would choose China for his first visit after becoming the President. It was believed that due to the initial anti-India policy of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, a leftist party with Marxism-Leninism ideology, and proximity to China, Dissanayake could change Sri Lanka’s attitude towards India.
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However, putting an end to these speculations and concerns, Dissanayake visited India before China. Pictures of the meeting between Dissanayake and PM Modi are being shared on social media. In such a situation, it is clear that after seeing Dissanayake’s statement and his pictures with PM Modi, China must have been worried about its relations with Sri Lanka.
In fact, it has been happening that after winning the elections in Sri Lanka, the President has been giving priority to visiting his neighboring country India. Dissanayake also continued this unwritten tradition. After meeting PM Modi, Sri Lankan President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a joint statement. While Dissanayake tried to allay India’s concerns, PM Modi assured that India will support Sri Lanka to overcome this difficult time.
Will not allow our land to be used against India’s interests
Dissanayake said, “I have assured the Prime Minister of India that we will not allow our land to be used in any way against India’s interests. Cooperation with India will definitely increase. I assure our continued support to India. I want to give.”
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At the same time, PM Modi said, “I welcome the President of Sri Lanka to India. I am happy that he has chosen India for his first foreign visit after becoming the President. This visit will bring new energy to the relations between the two countries.” There will be communication.”
Our security interests are interconnected
Prime Minister Modi said, “We completely agree that our security interests are interlinked. We have decided to finalize the defense cooperation agreement soon.”
PM Modi said, “We have emphasized on investment led growth and connectivity in our economic partnership. Digital, physical and energy connectivity will be important pillars of our partnership. On establishing electricity grid connectivity and multi product petrol pipeline between the two countries. Focus will also be given on solar power projects between the two countries.
India has given 5 billion dollars help to Sri Lanka so far
PM Modi also highlighted India’s strong support for the development of Sri Lanka. He said, “India has so far provided $5 billion in aid to Sri Lanka. We have cooperation in all 25 districts of Sri Lanka. Our projects are always selected based on the development priorities of the partner countries.”
Meaning of Dissanayake’s India tour?
-Sri Lanka follows non-alignment policy in its foreign policy. To stick to this policy, it is an unwritten tradition that the new President chooses India for his first foreign visit. Even when there is a change of power, there is no complete change in foreign policy in most countries. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has also taken this tradition forward.
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-Sri Lanka needs its neighbors to meet its economic needs and overcome the crisis. Sri Lanka is looking towards India for this. Because it already has a lot of debt from China. To repay the loan, Sri Lanka had to either sell or mortgage many of its goods to China. In such a situation, Sri Lanka is hoping for economic cooperation from India.
-To meet its economic needs, Sri Lanka also wants to join BRICS. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said in October that her country would soon apply for membership of BRICS and the New Development Bank. Dissanayake hopes that if India supports him, his entry into BRICS will be certain.
-In April 2022, Sri Lanka had to face a severe economic crisis. It had a debt of $83 billion. At that time inflation in the country had reached 70%. Amidst the economic crisis, political instability had also arisen. In this difficult time, India supported Sri Lanka by introducing Neighborhood First. India gave a loan of 4 billion dollars to Sri Lanka. Also humanitarian aid was provided. In such a situation, the Sri Lankan President hopes that his visit to India will help him in restructuring the debt of Sri Lanka.
How did India adjust to the new leadership of Sri Lanka?
On the other hand, the importance of India in Sri Lanka’s foreign policy. Sri Lanka has also had equal importance in India’s foreign policy. Therefore, when there was a change of government in Sri Lanka and the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna Party with anti-India policy became a part of the coalition government, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar immediately became active. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka in the first week of October. During this time he talked to the new administration of Sri Lanka on many issues. When Dissanayake came to India in February 2024, 8 months before the elections, he also met Jaishankar. This helped a lot in adjusting to the new leadership of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan President Dissanayake arrives in India on his first official foreign visit, will meet PM Modi
What problem does China have with India-Sri Lanka friendship?
-Geographically, Sri Lanka is located on the southern coast of India, separated by the Palk Strait. For India, Sri Lanka is an island country of strategic importance in the Indian Ocean. If India and Sri Lanka grow closer, it could weaken China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean.
-The location of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean is very important strategically. Its friendship with India can help in curbing China’s growing influence in the region.
India-Sri Lanka friendship may also harm China’s economic interests. China has many economic projects in Sri Lanka, and its friendship with India can affect these Chinese projects.
-Dissanayake being anti-India, China and Xi Jinping were hopeful that now China’s alignment would be formed in Sri Lanka. But with Dissanayake visiting India on his first official foreign visit, China may now be worried about its alignment deteriorating.
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How much debt does China owe to Sri Lanka?
The total debt on India’s neighbor Sri Lanka is $61.7 billion. According to the World Bank, China has given a loan of 8.54 billion dollars to Sri Lanka in the last few years. China is investing money in many projects in Sri Lanka including Mattala Airport.
How did Sri Lanka get trapped in China’s web?
Sri Lanka got independence from British rule in 1948. After 7 decades, Sri Lanka faced its biggest economic crisis last year. This crisis arose due to severe shortage of foreign exchange. According to the World Bank report, the share of Chinese debt in Sri Lanka was only 0.3% in the late 1990s. But since 2000, the share of Sri Lanka’s debt started increasing continuously.
China’s share increased to 16% in 2016. By the end of 2022, the stock of Chinese debt in Sri Lanka will reach US $ 7.3 billion. This amount constituted 19.6% of Sri Lanka’s public foreign debt. In this difficult time, India had helped its neighbor Sri Lanka.
