Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka during which he will participate in the International Vesak Day celebrations, the biggest festival of Buddhists, and address the Indian-origin Tamil community.
The PM’s visit is aimed at reinforcing the traditional connect between India and Sri Lanka at a time when China is seeking to make inroads in the island nation, said PTI.
The visit follows an invitation from Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. It is Modi's second trip to Sri Lanka as PM after March 2015.
“This will be my second bilateral visit there in two years, a sign of our strong relationship,” he said in a Facebook post prior to his departure.
He said it was an honour for him to join these celebrations with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. This is the first time that Sri Lanka will be hosting the International Vesak Day on Friday.
Soon after his arrival, Modi took part in a traditional lamp lighting ceremony at the Seema Malaka Temple, which is part of the Gangaramaya temple established in the late 19th century.
PM Modi Meets Sri Lankan President Srisena
The Prime Minister met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Srisena where the two leaders are understood to have reviewed the status of the bilateral relations.
On Friday, the PM will open an India-funded 150-bed multi-speciality hospital at Dickoya in the central hill district which is home to Tamil tea plantation workers of Indian origin.
He will also pray at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic at Kandy in central Sri Lanka. The golden-roofed Kandy temple houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of Lord Buddha.
In Pallekele, Modi will unveil a plaque commemorating the foundation laying of the Faculty of Kandyan Dance at the Sri Lankan International Buddhist Academy that will be constructed with India's grant assistance.
Former Prez Rajapaksa Claims Deals Signed Before PM’s Arrival
Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) in the External Affairs Ministry, Sanjay Panda while addressing the media on Friday said:
No agreements or MoUs were to be signed, but PM Modi did hold discussions with the Sri Lankan government. We also look forward to enhanced space cooperation between the two countries.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Sandhu said that the PM even met former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had earlier claimed that India and Sri Lanka may have signed deals on economic cooperation before the PM’s arrival.
“The information I have is that all deals have already been signed. So the Indian Prime Minister’s arrival or non-arrival would be immaterial,” Rajapaksa told reporters in the central town of Kandy.
Sri Lanka Says No to Chinese Submarine Docking
Sri Lanka has rejected China’s request for its submarine to dock at Colombo next week after a similar visit in 2014 triggered strong protest from India, a senior defence official said on Thursday.
“They asked for permission for 14 and 15 May to dock in the submarine. We refused,” a top defence official said on the condition of anonymity.
The move came as PM Modi arrived in Colombo to be the chief guest at International Vesak Day celebrations on Friday.
The docking of two Chinese submarines at the Colombo harbour in 2014 had angered India, which said it undermined its security interests.
The government sources said that such requests would be turned down in future too.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS and Reuters)
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