Civilizational twins: India and Sri Lanka seek to forge a future based on trust

When Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited New Delhi in December 2024, it was his first foreign trip after taking office. And when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6, it will be his fourth since assuming office in 2014.

- By P.K. BALACHANDRAN

Modi’s last trip to Sri Lanka in 2019 had a great humanitarian significance. It was a gesture of solidarity after the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Colombo and other towns that claimed over 200 lives.

It is clear that the ties between the two countries are deep. The bond is rooted in shared civilizational values and contemporary imperatives. In fact, the two countries are described as “civilizational twins.”

On April 5, Modi and Dissanayake will review progress on initiatives outlined in the “Joint Vision for Fostering Partnership” for a Stable Future, adopted during Dissanayake’s December 2024 visit. Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be exchanged, spanning energy connectivity, digitization, defence cooperation, health, and multi-sectoral aid.

Nagging Fishermen’s Issue

The Indian Foreign Secretary touched upon the nagging fishermen’s issue and said: “India’s central message has always been that these are issues that should be seen from the humanitarian and the livelihood concerns angle.”

“There are arrests that have been arrived at from time to time between Indian and Sri Lankan authorities on how to handle this issue. There is also a formal mechanism as well of a joint working group on fisheries between the two sides. I think the most recent meeting was held in October last year. There is also a mechanism for fishermen’s associations from the two sides to work together.”

Looking at the future, Misri said: “Our effort is to continue to search a mutual agreement on these issues. We have always focused on the need to avoid the use of force under all circumstances.”

Strong Economic Foundation