Prime Minister Narendra Modi assembly with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in New Delhi on Friday.
| Picture Credit score: Presidential Media Division, Colombo
Assembly on the sidelines of the AI Affect Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake “took inventory” of progress in bilateral relations, in response to the leaders’ social media posts on Friday (February 20, 2026).
“Strengthening friendship with a valued neighbour! It was fantastic assembly President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Delhi. We took inventory of the progress in India-Sri Lanka relations within the current occasions. We additionally mentioned avenues of cooperation in areas akin to power, connectivity, infrastructure, healthcare, skilling, tradition, blue economic system and extra,” Mr. Modi stated in his publish on X.
President Dissanayake stated the leaders held “intensive discussions on strengthening our historic ties and increasing financial, commerce, and cultural cooperation”. Additional, he expressed gratitude for India’s “distinctive help” in the course of the current Cyclone Ditwah.
No point out of India-backed tasks
The messages had no point out of any particular India-backed venture, or of the Tamil query, — and the pending political answer to it — that India has periodically raised with the Sri Lankan management previously. The leaders met lower than two months after Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Colombo, as Mr. Modi’s particular envoy, within the wake of Cyclone Ditwah that ravaged the island nation, claiming 650 lives. As many as 173 individuals are nonetheless lacking. The local weather shock occasion that battered Sri Lanka late in November 2025, is without doubt one of the worst the island has witnessed for the reason that Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Along with supporting Sri Lanka in fast aid and rescue efforts, India pledged a “reconstruction package deal” of $450 million.
PM Modi visited Sri Lanka in April final 12 months when the 2 sides inked seven Memorandums of Understanding, in areas together with defence cooperation, power, digitisation and well being. His interplay with the Sri Lankan chief additionally got here lower than a fortnight after the go to of Tilvin Silva, the Basic Secretary of Mr. Dissanayake’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or Individuals’s Liberation Entrance), the occasion main the nation’s ruling Nationwide Individuals’s Energy coalition.
Printed – February 20, 2026 04:59 pm IST