New Delhi: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya highlighted Colombo’s concern over Indian fishermen venturing into the island nation’s waters, even as she pitched her country as a “complimentary” partner for India’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision.
“Issues such as the Indian fishermen fishing in Sri Lankan waters and engaging in harmful practices like bottom trawling is of deep concern to the fishermen in northern Sri Lanka who are regaining their livelihoods after years of conflict,” Amarasuriya said Saturday at a civic reception hosted by the India Foundation.
“This is a matter that requires sensitive handling and sustainable solutions. We are very aware of this, and we are constantly in dialogue to try and find a reasonable solution that satisfies both parties.”
The event was attended by former President Ram Nath Kovind, apart from a slate of former and current Union ministers and diplomats. The civic reception is Amarasuriya’s final event ahead of her departure to Sri Lanka after completing a three-day visit to New Delhi.
It is my pleasure to have extended a warm welcome to Her Excellency, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr Harini Amarasuriya, in a civic reception in Delhi organized by @indfoundation, today.
India and Sri Lanka are neighbours not merely by geography, but also by history and… pic.twitter.com/waVEANN5rq
— Ram Nath Kovind (@ramnathkovind) October 18, 2025
She called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit Friday, while also meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other senior officials with the Indian government.
Modi and Amarasuriya discussed the welfare of Indian fishermen, which remains a sensitive issue between New Delhi and Colombo. Sri Lanka has consistently arrested Tamilian fishermen and impounded their boats for entering its waters near the island of Katchatheevu, which has remained an irritant in ties.
Over five decades ago India recognised Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory. However, in 1991 the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution demanding its retrieval to India. By recognising Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory, New Delhi in return gained the recognition of the resource-rich Wadge Bank as a part of its territory by Colombo in a follow maritime agreement signed in 1976.
However, discussions surrounding the safety of Indian fishermen and the retrieval of Katchatheevu almost always is a part of the electoral discourse in Tamil Nadu. It was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2024 ahead of the general elections in India. Tamil Nadu is slated to head to the polls in 2026.
Over 6,000 fishermen have been detained by Lankan authorities in the last two decades, which has further complicated the issue of their safety. However, even as the fishermen issue flares up at times, New Delhi and Colombo have expanded ties positively in other spheres.
Viksit Bharat
Amarasuriya pitched Sri Lanka as a partner for India’s push to be a global manufacturing hub by integrating into the overall supply chains in sectors such as textiles, electronics and food processing. She also hoped for the recommencement of negotiations for the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.
“We are committed to deepening our economic partnership through negotiations on the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement, which we are hopeful of recommencing soon. It would be to our mutual benefit to explore how Sri Lanka can integrate into India’s manufacturing and service sector value chains,” Amarasuriya said.
“As India seeks to position itself as a global manufacturing hub under Viksit Bharat, perhaps Sri Lanka could serve as a complementary production base including for industries like textiles, electronics and food processing.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Sri Lankan PM Dr Harini Amarasuriya says, "India is a crucial partner in our economic recovery and development. The India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1998, which was the first for both our countries, has created significant opportunities for our… pic.twitter.com/XY1WcZ7InI
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025
Colombo seeks to build itself as a maritime hub for the Indian Ocean Region and eventually develop its ports as a “gateway to India’s trade.”
“Enhanced trade routes and port development can benefit both nations’ economic growth objectives,” the Sri Lankan PM said, calling for collaboration in areas of maritime security such as preventing drug trafficking, piracy and energy security.
The India-Sri Lanka relationship has seen positive momentum in the last few years. The Sri Lankan economy went through a crisis in 2022, which saw New Delhi step in and offer emergency financial assistance worth almost $4 billion. Colombo’s economy has remained steadily positive in the last few years, and the ties have grown further.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake travelled to New Delhi in December 2024 for a state visit. Prime Minister Modi reciprocated the Dissanayake visit with a trip to Sri Lanka in April this year.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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