Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be on a two-day visit to India on 20 and 21 July at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Sri Lankan President’s visit to India assumes significance with concerns mounting in New Delhi over China’s increasing influence. Diplomatic sources familiar with the preparations related to the upcoming visit told The Daily Guardian that several issues pertaining to the growing influence of Beijing in Colombo will figure prominently during talks between President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Sri Lankan president is expected to address India’s concerns over the issue, sources added. President Wickremesinghe will also meet his Indian counterpart, Droupadi Murmu. “The visit takes place as both countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year,” the MEA statement read. The visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka once again seems to be tilting towards China in what is being seen as an outcome of the country’s soaring crisis. However, India continues to extend assistance addressing the economic crisis under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Sources said “PM Modi is going to lay emphasis on ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy during talks with the Sri Lankan leader who is expected to address the concerns that India has been voicing over the growing influence of China in Sri Lanka”.
Last year alone, India offered assistance of about $4 billion to Sri Lanka through multiple credit lines and currency support. In March this year, New Delhi extended the tenure of a $1 billion credit line facility, given in March 2022, till March 2024. According to sources in the Sri Lankan High Commission here, Wickremesinghe is going to assure India that Colombo’s ties with Beijing are not at all directed against New Delhi. It is a reality that Sri Lanka cannot drop China because the latter is an important economic partner of Colombo. But Wickremesinghe will be showing gratitude to India for all the help and aid it has extended to Sri Lanka.
Moreover, the Sri Lankan leader is expected to assure that his country will not allow its soil to be used for any anti-India activities, sources said. Undeniably, with the help of India and other like-minded countries, the economic situation of the country is headed towards stabilisation. There is an immense spike in the post-Covid return of tourists. Recently, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said that Colombo is likely to discuss energy, power and projects during Wickremesingh’s visit to New Delhi. Sri Lanka will now focus on grid connectivity between the two countries, port development and renewable energy projects, largely in the northern part of the island, when President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits India, Sabry told reporters. “Trincomalee energy-hub development, port development, possible refinery—basically we are discussing with India,” Sabry said, referring to a strategically important natural harbour on Sri Lanka’s northeast shore.
