India obtained defense and energy agreements with neighboring Sri Lanka on Saturday during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, considered a decision to counter competing with the growing influence of China in the region.
The Sri Lankan president, Anura Kumara, Dissanayake deployed the red carpet for Modi and gave him the greatest civil honor of the country for “the deep personal friendship” shown to the smallest neighbor.
“We believe that our security interests are aligned,” Modi said at a television ceremony at the Dissanayake office in the capital.
“Our safety is interdependent and interconnected.”
A five-year defense cooperation agreement provides training for Sri Lankan military staff in India as well as the sharing of information and technology.
Dissanayake applauded what he called “the rise of India as a world power, not only as a regional power”.
“I reiterated our position to Prime Minister Modi that Sri Lankan territory will not be authorized to be used by no one to undermine the security of India,” he added.
India previously opposed Chinese submarines and research ships that called for the Main Maritime Port of Colombo.
Sri Lanka has not authorized Chinese submarines to dock since 2014, after India has expressed concerns during two of these visits.
Last year, Colombo imposed a ban on foreign research vessels following the accusations of New Delhi that Chinese ships were used to spy on India.
Saturday, Dissanayake welcomed Modi – The first foreign dignitary to visit Colombo since the left chief swept power last year – with a salvation of 19 pistols.
Balance China
The two leaders also celebrated the start of the construction of a 120 megawatts solar energy project, developed as a joint venture between the two nations.
The solar factory, located in the northeast of the island’s trincomalee district, had been in a standstill for years but has been invigorated with the support of New Delhi.
Modi’s visit intervenes while Colombo is struggling with the competing interests of New Delhi and Beijing.
India has become concerned about the influence of China in Sri Lanka, which it considers to revive its sphere of interest.
The first visit abroad of Dissanayake was in New Delhi in December, but he followed him with a visit to Beijing in January, stressing the delicate of balancing of Sri Lanka.
China has become the largest unique bilateral creditor in Sri Lanka, representing more than half of its bilateral debt of $ 14 billion when the island was lacking on its sovereign debt in 2022.
Beijing was also the first to restructure its loans in Sri Lanka, a decision that helped open the way to the island to emerge from its worst economic collapse.
In January, Colombo announced that it had signed an agreement with a Chinese state company to invest $ 3.7 billion in an oil refinery in the south of the island.
The agreement would mark the largest foreign investment in Sri Lanka and is considered crucial for its economic recovery.
Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka followed a summit in Thailand and a series of meetings with leaders of neighboring countries while he was trying to consolidate the regional links of India.
On the sidelines of the Bangkok Bimstec meeting – The grouping of seven nations in Bengal Bay – Modi has held a rare face -to -face meeting with the head of the Myanmar junta, Min Aung Hlating.
He also had talks on Friday with the interim chief of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus – the first meeting of this type since a revolution in Dacca has ousted the long -standing ally of New Delhi, Sheikh Hasina and sent relations in a tail.
India had been the greatest benefactor of the Hasina government, and its overthrow encouraged Yunus to make its first state visit last month in China.
Modi also met Friday in Bangkok with his Nepalese counterpart, Kp Sharma Oli – their first meeting since Oli returned to power last year – as well as Tshering Tobgay from Bhutan.