PM Modi to travel to Sri Lanka on State visit on Apr 4, several MoUs expected to be exchanged

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Sri Lanka for a State visit from April 4-6. During the visit, a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) inked between the two nations are expected to be exchanged. PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

In a statement, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism said, “While in Sri Lanka, the Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Anuradhapura to pay homage to the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi and will inaugurate several projects implemented in Sri Lanka with the assistance of the Government of India.” The statement also confirmed that multiple MoUs between the two countries are expected to be exchanged during the visit.

PM Modi will be accompanied by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other senior officials of the Government of India, according to the statement.

Before arriving in Sri Lanka, PM Modi will visit Thailand from April 3 to 4 to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, hosted by Thailand, the current BIMSTEC Chair, and for an official visit.

PM Modi’s last visit to Sri Lanka was in 2019. Earlier, Sri Lanka’s President paid a State Visit to India as his first visit abroad after assuming office. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that PM Modi’s visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, as well as his participation in the BIMSTEC Summit, will reaffirm India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies.

In a statement, the MEA highlighted, “India and Sri Lanka share civilizational bonds with strong cultural and historic links. This visit is part of regular high-level engagements between the countries and will lend further momentum to deepening the multi-faceted partnership between India and Sri Lanka.”

“Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, and his participation in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, will reaffirm India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, ‘Act East’ policy, ‘MAHASAGAR’ (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, and vision of the Indo-Pacific,” it added.