Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Sri Lanka to expand defence and energy ties as Colombo balances relations with its powerful neighbour and biggest lender, China.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake rolled out the red carpet for Modi and welcomed him with a 19-gun salute in the capital’s Independence Square on Saturday.
The Indian leader is the first foreign dignitary to visit the island since the leftist Dissanayake swept elections last year.
Modi was also conferred with Mithra Vibhushan, Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honour, by Dissanayake.
The Indian leader thanked the Sri Lankan president and said the honour was “not just mine but it belongs to the 140 crore [1.4 billion] people of India.”
“We believe that our security interests are aligned,” Modi said during a televised ceremony from Dissanayake’s office in Colombo. “Our security is interdependent and interconnected.”
The two nations signed a five-year defence cooperation agreement for the training of Sri Lankan military personnel in India as well as information and technology sharing.
Dissanayake applauded what he called “India’s rise as a world power, not just a regional power”.
“I have reiterated our position to Prime Minister Modi that Sri Lankan territory will not be allowed to be used by anyone to undermine India’s security,” he added.
India has previously objected to Chinese submarines and research vessels which have called at the main seaport in Colombo. Sri Lanka has not allowed Chinese submarines to dock since 2014, after India raised concerns over two such visits.
Last year, Colombo imposed a ban on foreign research vessels following New Delhi’s accusations that Chinese ships were being used to spy on India. (AlJazeera)
