Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Meets Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasooriya

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasooriya in Colombo and discussed bilateral relations in key areas including development cooperation, education and culture.

“Meet the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasooriya, in Colombo. We exchanged views on a range of issues related to development cooperation, education and the close cultural and civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka,” Singh said on X.

“I stressed that as sister democracies with a shared heritage, India and Sri Lanka must continue to work on a common development vision for the peace and prosperity of our region,” he added.

Singh also held talks with the senior military leadership of the island nation during his visit to the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry.

“During my visit to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, I had the opportunity to interact with the senior military leadership of Sri Lanka. Many of them have been trained in India and share close ties with India. In my brief remarks, I emphasized the Vision Ocean for ‘mutual’ and ‘comprehensive’ development and reiterated our desire to further strengthen the long-standing India-Sri Lanka defence and strategic partnership with special emphasis on maritime cooperation,” Singh noted on X.

Earlier, Singh met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, reaffirming the commitment to work together for the welfare and development of both countries.

During the meeting, Singh conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm greetings to Dissanayake. They also discussed ways to ensure safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region. India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, and other officials were present during the meeting.

“Had a warm and very productive meeting with the President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. I conveyed to him the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulated him on the successful completion of two years of his government,” Singh said.

“We reaffirmed that as twin civilizations, close neighbours and maritime partners, India and Sri Lanka will continue to work together for the development of our countries and the well-being of our people, as well as jointly ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of our region,” he added.

Singh arrived in Colombo on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka, which aims to deepen bilateral defence and maritime cooperation. Before leaving for Colombo, Singh said he looked forward to fruitful discussions with the Sri Lankan leadership.