PM Modi to hold virtual bilateral summit with Sri Lankan counterpart today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa will be holding a Virtual Bilateral Summit today. The Summit will be Prime Minister Modi’s first such virtual engagement with a neighbouring country and also Mr Rajapaksa’s first diplomatic engagement with a leader of a foreign country after he was sworn in as Prime Minister in August this year.

AIR correspondent reports, India- Sri Lanka bilateral relations are marked by regular high level exchanges. Such exchanges have provided momentum to mutual cooperation and ties which are multi-dimensional in nature and cut across spheres such as commerce, security, defence, culture, and tourism.

A Virtual Bilateral Summit under challenging circumstances posed by COVID-19, testifies to the deep-rooted civilizational ties and shared heritage between the two neighbouring countries. This is also a reflection of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ approach and SAGAR doctrine.

The Summit will give an opportunity to the two leaders to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship in the context of the time-tested friendly ties between the two countries and give broad political direction for a strengthened and deepened collaborative partnership on key issues of mutual interest.