PM Modi, Rajapaksa to review India-Sri Lanka ties, China may figure in talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, will hold a virtual bilateral summit on 26 September. The interaction between both the leaders is going to take place at a time when China is fast making inroads in the island nation by grabbing most of the key projects of infrastructure development there. The virtual meeting between both PM Modi and Rajapaksa is also taking place at a time when the global community is making a joint effort to counter China over its expansionist behaviour.

 “Sri Lanka’s cooperation at this juncture is needed and PM Modi’s talk with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister will be quite crucial from this point of view,” say sources. The Indian diplomatic team hopes that Colombo will continue to cooperate with New Delhi against China’s sinister designs to encircle it, for which the Dragon is keenly looking for Sri Lanka’s help.

 The Sri Lankan foreign minister has already spoken about his country’s policy of “India first”, which has caused a lot of heartburn in the Chinese camp. New Delhi is already lobbying with Colombo to impress upon the leadership in the island nation that unwavering Beijing cannot be trusted.

 At the backdrop of the situation developing like this, the upcoming talk between PM Modi and Rajapaksa is important, say sources. It is their first official engagement after the parliamentary elections in the island nation last month. “The implementation of developmental projects by India will be one of top agendas which will be discussed during the interactions between the two leaders,” say sources. This is the area where Beijing’s role has to be kept in mind, says an official. The Indian side has been sharing details with Sri Lanka about how several projects of great significance are in the pipeline and they will be executed soon in the island nation. PM Modi has been given the list of all the works done so far by India in Sri Lanka and the projects which are on the cards, say sources.

 According to sources, “Cooperation on counterterrorism and defence matters, trade, and the devolution of powers to Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority are expected to figure in the talks.” 

“The virtual bilateral summit will give an opportunity to the two leaders to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship soon after the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka and in the context of the timetested friendly ties between the two countries,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

 Rajapaksa began a fresh term as prime minister after his Sri Lanka People’s Front party secured a two-thirds majority in parliamentary polls in August.