PM Modi holds virtual summit with Sri Lankan PM Rajapaksa, hails '1000-year old relations'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a virtual bilateral summit with Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa. During the summit, PM Modi upheld the relations with Sri Lanka and said that India has always given special priority to Sri Lanka considering the 'neighbourhood first policy' and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) doctrine.

"The relations between India and Sri Lanka are thousands of years old. According to my government's neighbourhood first policy and SAGAR doctrine, we give special priority to relations between the two countries," PM Modi said.

"I thank you (Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa) for accepting my invitation for this virtual bilateral summit between India and Sri Lanka. I also congratulate you for being elected as Prime Minister and victory of your party in Parliamentary elections," he added.

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India's assistance to Sri Lanka

Rajapaksa expressed gratitude for India’s work for other countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rajapaksa's statement can also be deemed as gratitude for India's 10-tonne consignment of essential medicines including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol to Sri Lanka to assist in the island nation's fight with COVID-19, besides other financial assistance.

Moreover, India also assisted the island nation in extinguishing the fire in MT Diamond ship, a Greek Oil tanker which caught fire in Sri Lanka’s eastern coast. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) had deployed six ICG ships and two aircraft for fire fighting and pollution response to the MT Diamond ship fire.

“The operation to douse off the fire on MT New Diamond ship provided an opportunity for greater cooperation between the two countries,” Rajapaksa said.

This virtual summit is the first such virtual engagement by PM Modi with a neighbouring country and the third virtual summit amid COVID-19 crisis with the leaders of other countries, after the summit with Australian PM Scott Morrison and second meeting with the European Union leadership. It is also Rajapaksa's first diplomatic engagement with a leader of a foreign country after he took over as the prime minister of Sri Lanka on August 9.

Prior to this virtual summit, Rajapaksa had visited India in February 2020 preceded by Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's visit in November 2019.

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