FPJ Analysis: India And Sri Lanka Deepen Ties

India and Sri Lanka signed a comprehensive agreement on April 5 to augment ties between the two nations as Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a three-day visit to the island nation the day before. This was a kind of a reciprocation of Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who had visited India in December 2024. It had been his first state visit to a foreign country since his election in September. Modi’s visit was also the first by a foreign leader to Sri Lanka since Dissanayake unexpectedly led his leftist National People’s Power to victory. The two visits mark a welcome enhancement of ties between the two neighbouring countries after a period of troubled diplomacy when Ranil Wickremesinghe was in power in the midst of Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown and political turbulence. But even before that, there had been strains in ties between the two nations as Sri Lanka inaugurated a period of increasing proximity and warmth with China, based, in part, on a deepening economic partnership. Sri Lanka has a unique importance due to its geostrategic location, which India can hardly fail to ignore. Signs of Colombo’s Beijing tilt had, therefore, caused great unease within the diplomatic, security and geopolitical establishment in New Delhi, as had the political chaos unleashed in the island nation by severe economic problems.

When Dissanayake came to power riding a leftist reputation, it had appeared that further obstacles could be ahead in the normalisation of Indo-Lankan ties, but several factors seem to have nudged the relationship into a progressive channel. Among these, one important factor has been New Delhi’s steadfast support for Colombo as it sought to climb out of its economic crisis. Another important factor seems to be Dissanayake’s resolutely pragmatic approach to governance in general. It didn’t take long for the Sri Lankan president to appreciate that India was a valuable ally, with whom a special relationship had to be constructed on a priority basis. The agreement Modi and Dissanayake signed over the weekend covered defence, energy and trade, among other arenas of cooperation. Modi stressed New Delhi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Mission Security and Growth for All in the Region, while Dissanayake affirmed his commitment to not allowing Sri Lankan territory to be used in any manner that threatened India’s security and regional stability. The two leaders signed seven key agreements that also included the health sector and cooperation for digital transformation. In the cultural sphere, India signalled good faith by committing to a capacity-building programme for Sri Lankans and assistance for the development of temples and a sacred city complex. This is a good start, keeping in mind the deep and historical cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries.