New Delhi: India and Sri Lanka signed their first-ever framework agreement on defence cooperation on 5 April.
The agreement, signed after wide-ranging discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, signals a major milestone in the strategic relationship between the two neighbours.
The defence pact aims to formalise joint military exercises, capacity-building programmes, and institutional-level exchanges between the armed forces of both nations.
“Our security interests are closely aligned. The safety and stability of India and Sri Lanka are interconnected,” PM Modi said, underscoring the growing convergence on regional security.
This development comes nearly 40 years after India’s Peace Keeping Force was first deployed in Sri Lanka, marking a new era of structured military collaboration.
President Dissanayake, in his remarks, assured India that Sri Lankan territory would not be allowed to be used in ways that threaten New Delhi’s security.
The meeting between the two leaders came a day after PM Modi arrived in Colombo following his participation at the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.
Apart from the defence pact, India and Sri Lanka signed nine other significant agreements:
- Energy Cooperation: The two leaders jointly launched the construction of the Sampur Solar Power Plant, a key project backed by India to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security. Trincomalee is set to be developed as a major energy hub under this initiative.
- Electricity Grid Interconnection: A crucial agreement was inked to interconnect the national electricity grids of the two countries, enabling future cross-border power trade.
- Energy Export Potential: An MoU was signed to explore the possibility of Sri Lanka exporting surplus electricity to India.
- Trilateral Energy Corridor: A tripartite agreement involving India, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates will support the development of a multiproduct energy pipeline and further boost Trincomalee’s energy infrastructure.
- Digital Partnership: A new MoU will allow India to share its digital platforms and technologies with Sri Lanka, aiding in the island nation’s digital transformation journey.
- Support for Eastern Province: India pledged a support package worth 2.4 billion Sri Lankan rupees to aid the social and economic development of Sri Lanka’s eastern provinces.
- Green Energy for Religious Institutions: A solar rooftop initiative, backed by $17 million in Indian credit assistance, will power 5,000 religious institutions across Sri Lanka, generating 25 MW of renewable energy.
- Healthcare Cooperation: The two countries signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in the fields of health and medicine through joint programmes and knowledge exchange.
- Pharmaceutical Standards: A separate agreement was signed between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and Sri Lanka’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority to harmonise pharmacopoeial standards and practices.
These agreements collectively underscore a shared commitment to regional stability, sustainable development, as well as strategic connectivity across energy, health, digital and defence sectors.
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