INDIA and Sri Lanka on Friday adopted a vision document and inked five key pacts to expand connectivity and economic ties significantly even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to the island nation’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe the need to ensure a life of dignity for the Tamil community in that country. Following wide-ranging talks between Modi and Wickremesinghe, the two sides announced a raft of initiatives including expediting work to connect their electricity grids, begin talks on an economic and technology cooperation pact, a feasibility study for a petroleum pipeline and check viability of a land bridge to boost connectivity between the two neighbours. An agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lanka Pay for acceptance of the UPI application in Sri Lanka and an MoU for cooperation in the field of renewable energy were among five key pacts signed between the two sides. In his media statement, Modi said the issues relating to the livelihood of fishermen figured in the talks and it was agreed that it should be dealt with a humane approach.

 

The two sides also decided to start passenger ferry services between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanturai in Sri Lanka. Modi also announced that various projects worth Rs 75 crore will be implemented for the Indian-origin Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka and that New Delhi will also contribute to the development programmes in the northern and eastern region of that country. Referring to the economic crisis faced by Colombo, Modi said the people of India are with the people of the island nation in their hour of struggle and noted that a stable, secure and prosperous Sri Lanka is not only in the interest of India, but also in the interest of the entire Indian Ocean Region.

 

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that provides for devolution of power to it. The 13th amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987. The vision document for economic partnership is aimed at strengthening maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity besides accelerating mutual cooperation in areas of tourism, power, trade, higher education, and skill development. In his remarks, the Sri Lankan president said “We believe that India’s growth would be beneficial to neighbourhood and Indian Ocean Region.” “I have also apprised with Prime Minister Modi of the extraordinary challenges that Sri Lanka had experienced in economic, social and political terms in the past year, and of the reform measures I have spearheaded on a number of fronts, in overcoming these challenges,” he said. Wickremesinghe said he conveyed to Modi Sri Lanka’s “profound appreciation” for the solidarity and support rendered to the country by India in what was “undoubtedly the most challenging period in our recent history”. Adani meets Sri Lankan President: BILLIONAIRE Gautam Adani on Friday proposed to set up a green hydrogen plant in Sri Lanka, where his conglomerate is already developing a container terminal and a 500 MW wind project.