Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe calls for deepening ties with India

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and regional integration with Japan to India, with a special focus on deepening ties with New Delhi, as his country seeks to emerge from bankruptcy.

Wickremesinghe’s comments came as he was virtually addressing the Head of State Session of the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit, held under the theme “An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future.” From the north-central town of Anuradhapura yesterday.

The conference, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brought together heads of state from various countries.

Reflecting on Indo-Sri Lankan relations, the President emphasised the “vision” statement shared between the two nations, which celebrates their historical cooperation and lays the foundation for future collaboration.

He expressed optimism that this vision will lead to stronger integration between Sri Lanka and India across various sectors.

President Wickremesinghe highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic commitment to expanding economic partnerships across Asia, particularly through the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).