Why in News?
- PM Narendra Modi, on a 3-day state visit to Sri Lanka, held high-level talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and oversaw the signing of 7 MoUs across key sectors, further strengthening India - Sri Lanka ties.
- The visit also marked a significant diplomatic gesture as Sri Lanka conferred the prestigious Mithra Vibhushana medal on PM Modi - the highest such honour for a foreign leader.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- High-Level Engagements between India and Sri Lanka
- Symbolism in India-Sri Lanka Engagement
- China’s Expanding Footprint - A Strategic Concern
- India - Sri Lanka Ties - A Strategic Recalibration Amidst China’s Growing Influence
- Conclusion
High-Level Engagements between India and Sri Lanka:
- Delegation-level talks in Colombo: Reviewed progress under the “Joint Vision for a Shared Future” (from Dissanayake’s previous visit to India).
- Defence and strategic cooperation:
- Landmark India–Sri Lanka Defence Pact signed to bolster strategic and maritime cooperation.
- Sri Lanka reassured India that its territory won’t be used against India’s security interests.
- PM Modi welcomed this assurance as a testament to the deep trust and strategic alignment between the two neighbours.
- Seen as a counterbalance to Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean region.
- Energy, digital, trade and development cooperation:
- Energy: Development of Trincomalee as an energy hub.
- Clean energy: Sampur Solar Power Project inaugurated virtually.
- Digital infrastructure, healthcare, trade facilitation, and regional development were focus areas.
- Eastern province framework for Indian grant assistance signed.
- Economic support and regional stability:
- India’s crisis-time support acknowledged: India provided $4.5 billion assistance during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Support included credit lines, food and fuel aid.
- Discussions included debt restructuring and a proposed currency swap agreement for macroeconomic stability.
- Tech support:
- India provided ₹300 crore grant to support Sri Lanka’s Digital Identity Project.
- Focus on collaboration in digitalization across multiple domains including governance, services, and financial inclusion.
Symbolism in India-Sri Lanka Engagement:
- First visits: Dissanayake’s first foreign visit was to India, and now Modi is his first foreign guest in Sri Lanka.
- Symbolic diplomacy:
- Historic welcome at Independence Square: First foreign leader to receive a ceremonial reception at Colombo’s Independence Square.
- PM Modi received Sri Lanka’s highest honour for a foreign leader (22nd international award for PM Modi).
- Reflects commitment to regional cooperation, Buddhist heritage, cultural revival, and spiritual diplomacy.
- Symbolic visits - Anuradhapura visit and IPKF memorial:
- Modi to inaugurate India-funded development projects in Anuradhapura.
- Scheduled to lay a wreath at the IPKF Memorial, honouring Indian peacekeepers from the 1980s.
China’s Expanding Footprint - A Strategic Concern:
- Chinese investments and influence in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has received $3.7 billion from China to develop infrastructure, including:
- A new oil refinery in Hambantota.
- Expansion of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.
- Hambantota port - A security flashpoint:
- Leased to China for 99 years after loan defaults.
- Used by Chinese surveillance vessels like Yuan Wang 5, raising India’s maritime security concerns.
- Sri Lanka continues to allow Chinese vessels to dock under “replenishment” claims.
India - Sri Lanka Ties - A Strategic Recalibration Amidst China’s Growing Influence:
- A reset in military ties:
- For the first time, India and Sri Lanka signed an umbrella Defence MoU.
- It will structure and expand existing defence initiatives across maritime security, intelligence sharing, and strategic collaboration.
- It marks a strategic reset after decades of cautious ties post-IPKF withdrawal (late 1980s).
- Seen as a response to China’s rising influence in the Indian Ocean
- Support for continental shelf claim:
- President Dissanayake requested India’s technical support for presenting Sri Lanka’s claim to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).
- This involves extending maritime boundaries beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Conclusion:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2025 visit to Sri Lanka marks a watershed moment in India–Sri Lanka relations, reflecting a strategic recalibration amidst evolving regional geopolitics.
- The conferment of the Mithra Vibhushana medal on PM Modi symbolizes the cultural and diplomatic warmth between the two nations.
- At a time when China’s influence in the Indian Ocean is expanding, India’s proactive outreach reasserts its Neighbourhood First policy and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine.
