Sri Lanka Promises PM Modi: No Territory Will Be Used Against India's Interests

Colombo: In a strong affirmation of bilateral ties, Sri Lankan President Ranil Dissanayake has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Sri Lanka will not allow its land or surrounding waters to be used in any manner that could threaten India's security interests. The statement was made during high-level discussions in Colombo, where the two nations also signed a landmark Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first time.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, briefing the media on the outcome of the talks, said, "The President of Sri Lanka stated very clearly that Sri Lankan territory will not be used or be allowed to be used in any manner that is inimical or detrimental to India's interests." He further added, "During discussions today, he said that neither Sri Lanka’s land nor the oceans around it will be allowed to be used in any manner inimical to India’s security."

This assurance came against the backdrop of the newly signed Defence MoU between India and Sri Lanka, which Misri described as “an umbrella framework document that will make existing defence cooperation initiatives more structured.”

The bilateral dialogue also touched upon sensitive issues such as the recurring tensions over fishermen straying into each other’s waters. Misri noted that Sri Lankan authorities have decided to release 11 Indian fishermen imminently, with more likely to be freed in the coming days.

“This was a subject that was discussed in considerable detail between the two sides,” Misri said. “As the Prime Minister said himself during his remarks, there was an emphasis on the need to adopt a humanitarian and constructive approach to cooperation on these issues because these are ultimately issues that impact the livelihood of fishermen on both sides.”

Meanwhile, echoing the spirit of cooperation, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra said, “We are committed to working closely with India. There were a number of doubts and issues in the past, but we've cleared that we have a very strong, very fruitful relationship with India.”

“The support that we are getting from India is really enormous,” he added, expressing confidence that the bilateral relationship will continue to grow stronger in the days to come.