EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held talks with Sri Lanka’s top leadership, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and jointly commissioned with him the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre built with a USD 6 million grant from India, as New Delhi stepped up bilateral cooperation with its time-tested neighbour. The Minister also called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and reiterated India’s strong support through development and connectivity initiatives. Jaishankar, who met Wickremesinghe at the President’s House, said that he conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister Modi and discussed the way forward for the bilateral cooperation, especially in power, energy, connectivity, port infrastructure, aviation, digital, health, food security, education and tourism sectors.

 

“Honoured to call on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciated the progress made on various bilateral projects and initiatives,” Jaishankar said in a post on X. “Under President @RW_UNP’s guidance, discussed the way forward for the India-Sri Lanka cooperation, especially in power, energy, connectivity, port infrastructure, aviation, digital, health, food security, education and tourism sectors.

 

Committed to working for the steady development of our traditionally close and friendly ties,” said the minister who arrived here early Thursday, his first visit here in his second consecutive term in office. President Wickremesinghe and Jaishankar jointly unveiled the virtual plaque to mark the formal commissioning of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Lanka under a USD 6 million grant from India. This includes a centre at Navy Headquarters in Colombo, a sub-centre in Hambantota and unmanned installations at Galle, Arugambay, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kallarawa, Point Pedro and Mollikulam.