Colombo, Apr 5 (PTI) An India-Sri Lanka defence partnership agreement inked on Saturday will institutionalise the existing military engagement and pave the way for more structured cooperation including potential collaboration in the defence industrial sector, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
The agreement firmed up during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake signals a major attempt to boost India-Sri Lanka defence ties nearly four decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force’s intervention in the island nation strained the relations.
There is a recognition at the leadership level that the security interests of India and Sri Lanka are interlinked, Misri said.
The foreign secretary noted that it is on the basis of this understanding that the two sides concluded the MoU providing “further impetus to the existing defence partnership, signifying their shared commitment to regional security and stability.” At a media briefing, Misri also said the agreement was the outcome of “very good conversations” between the two leaders that began last December when Dissanayake visited New Delhi.
“I would say a point of really close convergence in the narratives from both sides has been a recognition of the completely interlinked nature of the national security of Sri Lanka and India,” Misri said.
The foreign secretary said Dissanayake has both during his visit to Delhi in December and during Saturday’s meeting stated “very, very clearly that Sri Lankan territory will not be used or be allowed to be used in any manner that is inimical or detrimental to India’s interests.” In his talks with Modi on Saturday, Dissanayake said that neither Sri Lanka’s land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India’s security, Misri said.
The foreign secretary said the defence pact itself is an “umbrella framework” that will make existing cooperation “more structured” and facilitate more high-level visits, joint exercises, capacity building in various areas and exchanges for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) will also lead to increased port calls by naval vessels of both countries and the exploration of defence industry cooperation, Misri said.
Sri Lanka’s defence secretary Thuyacontha told local media that the defence partnership with India has been an “invaluable asset” and both sides had agreed at the defence dialogue in 2023 to further strengthen ties through a formal MoU.
This MoU was “meticulously scrutinised and reviewed” and the approval of the cabinet was obtained prior to signing it, he said.
The signing of the MoU came amid increasing concerns in New Delhi over China’s relentless attempts to increase its influence over Colombo.
The docking of Chinese missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang’ at Hambantota port in August 2022 had triggered a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka. Another Chinese warship docked at the Colombo port in August 2023. PTI MPB SCY SCY
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