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Chief Election Commissioner and Chairman of the Council of Member States of International IDEA Gyanesh Kumar on Monday held bilateral meetings with the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and the Ambassador of Uzbekistan at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi to enhance democratic cooperation and election management ties.
In his meeting with Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, both sides underscored the deep-rooted neighbourly ties between the two nations. Highlighting the engagement on X, the Election Commission of India noted, "Underscoring the deep-rooted ties between India and Sri Lanka as neighbours, both sides emphasised that shared democratic values and historical linkages provide a strong foundation for electoral cooperation." ECI added that during the discussions, "they resolved to work closely together to strengthen the agenda laid out during IICDEM 2026," while agreeing to "further cooperate on strengthening election management and training of election staff." According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and the relationship between two countries is more than 2,500 years old, sharing a strong civilizational and historical connect. Sri Lanka has a central place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. India-Sri Lanka bilateral political relations are marked by regular high-level exchanges. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi (PM) has visited Sri Lanka four times since 2014. The latest visit of PM to Sri Lanka was in April 2025 which was the first visit to Sri Lanka by any Head of State since President Anura Kumara Disanayaka assumed presidency in September 2024. During the visit, a total of 7 MoUs covering various fields like defence cooperation, health and mass media, energy, connectivity, etc. were exchanged. Separately, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar met with Sardor Rustambaev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to India. Sharing details of the meeting on X, the ECI wrote: "Building on the momentum generated at IICDEM 2026, both sides resolved to work closely together to advance the agenda set out at the conference, reinforcing India's role as a trusted partner in the region's democratic development." The post further noted that "the two sides further agreed to strengthen collaboration in election management and the training of election staff." According to MEA, the protocol on establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Uzbekistan was signed in Tashkent on 18 March 1992. India and Uzbekistan declared their Strategic Partnership in 2011. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev last met briefly in September, 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China. India and Uzbekistan signed Bilateral Market Access protocol in the context of Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization on 27 May 2026. (ANI)
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