Sri Lanka and India have close rapport - Minister G.L. Peiris

by Manjula Fernando

Sri Lanka and India share excellent bilateral relations with a sound understanding of the individual challenges on the regional front, External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday.

Speaking during the Budget debate of the External Affairs Ministry on Friday, Minister Peiris refuted Opposition allegations that the Government was distancing itself from India by permitting China to take over the country’s development drive.

“The Minister said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a very cordial telephone conversation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa three days ago.”

“The Indian High Commissioner, Y.K. Sinha met the President yesterday at Temple Trees in my presence and the discussion was also extremely cordial.” He said there is nothing to imply that the two countries were drifting apart and added that the Opposition was trying to discuss a non-existent issue during the Budget debate.

He said the Indian cooperation is very much reflected in the country’s railways, road networks, power generation, hospitals, housing and education sectors. “The Galle dialogue in December every year is evidence of the strong relations between the two countries. The keynote address at the Galle dialogue this year (December 1) will be delivered by India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.”

The Galle dialogue is a forum where India, Maldives and Sri Lanka discuss joint Naval action to safeguard maritime security in this part of the Indian ocean. “We are discussing a joint program of action towards this goal,” he said.