"A new milestone in the India-Sri Lanka partnership": MEA

Taking to X, the MEA said that both nations reviewed a comprehensive partnership and agreed on a roadmap to deepen ties for the mutual benefit of both countries as well as the region.

"A new milestone in the India-Sri Lanka partnership. Wide-ranging discussions held between the delegations of India and Sri Lanka, led by PM Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, respectively. Both sides reviewed the comprehensive India-Sri Lanka partnership and agreed on a roadmap to deepen ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries as well as the region," the MEA said on X.

Earlier today, India and Sri Lanka signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the national capital.

Addressing a joint press conference following the signing, PM Modi highlighted India's robust support for Sri Lanka's development.

"India has so far provided 5 billion dollars in lines of credit and grant assistance to Sri Lanka. We have cooperation in all 25 districts of Sri Lanka, and the selection of our projects is always based on the development priorities of the partner countries," he said.

He also announced India's decision to grant assistance for the rehabilitation of the Maho-Anuradhapura railway signalling system and Kankesanthurai Port.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed gratitude to the Indian government for its support during their economic crisis and subsequent recovery efforts and acknowledged the country's role in the debt-free structuring process.

"We faced an unprecedented economic crisis some two years ago and India supported us immensely to come out of that quagmire. It has also helped us immensely after that, especially in the debt-free structuring process," the Sri Lankan President said. (ANI)