PM Modi lands in Colombo [Sri Lanka] tonight 4 April from Thailand
PM Modi lands in Colombo [Sri Lanka] tonight 4 April from Thailand
PM Modi will land at Colombo airport (Sri Lanka) from Thailand tonight 4 April 2025.
His visit comes afore the bilateral talks at leadership and delegation levels, signing of key agreements, talks with opposition politicians; Spotlight on contentious fisheries issue, defence pact.
PM Modi’s visit to
the Island Nation is on the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This visit of PM Modi marks the first visit by a foreign leader to
Sri Lanka after the island nation witnessed a dramatic political shift last year, with the ascent of the leftist leader and his National People’s Power [NPP] alliance to power. Months after his election win, President Dissanayake visited New Delhi, marking his first state visit abroad in December 2024, when India and Sri Lanka issued a joint statement laying out the main areas of cooperation.
Ahead of the visit,both leaders took to social media platform ‘X’ on Thursday [April 3, 2024] and said they looked forward to strengthening the partnership and exploring new avenues for cooperation.
Reportedly, a total eight
MoUs will be signed amidst Modi’s visit, spanning energy, digital infrastructure, health and defence sectors.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told local media that ties between India and Sri Lanka “have never been better before”.
PM Modi’s visit would seek to take forward the “very comprehensive” joint statement adopted amidst President Dissanayake’s New Delhi visit, he was quoted as saying.
On Saturday [April 5, 2025] Mr. Modi, will be joined by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and will receive a guard of honour at the Independence Square in Colombo — near a national monument commemorating Sri Lanka’s Independence from British rule — ahead of bilateral talks and the signing out MoUs at the Presidential Secretariat.
Sources in Colombo, reveal that PM Modi is scheduled to meet several opposition politicians, including those representing the Tamils, on Saturday.
Mr. Modi will also travel to Anuradhapura in the North Central Province] on Sunday [April 6, 2025].
Besides discussions on continuing economic cooperation, including in debt treatment and potential Indian investment, PM.Modi and Dissanayake are expected to take up the sensitive fisheries conflict in which war-affected northern Tamil fisehrmen of Sri Lanka and daily wage fishermen of Tamil Nadu are severely affected.
India, T.N. must help protect livelihoods of northern Sri Lankan fishermen, says Minister Bimal Rathnayake
The contention is around Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu using the ‘bottom-trawling’ fishing method that, their Sri Lankan counterparts and scientists world over say, destroys the marine ecosystem.
Following Ministerial bilateral talks in 2016, on the long persisting dispute, the two sides agreed on “expediting the transition towards ending the practice of bottom trawling at the earliest.” However, Sri Lankan fishermen contend there has been little change since. The issue is in sharp focus, also since PM.is scheduled to travel directly to Rameswaram on April 6, 2025, where a sizeable number of bottom trawlers originate.
Meanwhile, sections among Sri Lanka’s war-affected Tamils, are also keenly watching Modi’s visit and his possible message on the pending political solution and delayed provincial council elections. Taking into consideration geopolitical realities, India appears reluctant to take up the Tamil question. It seems that India is in a situation where it must maintain friendly ties with Sri Lanka.” However, on the question of a political solution, Tamils [of the north and east] believe India’s intervention is necessary.
News Edit KV Raman
