Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Touches Down in Delhi for a Momentous Two-Day India Visit

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in India on a two-day visit, marking his first trip to India since assuming office. The visit celebrates the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and aims to strengthen their partnership.

During his visit, President Wickremesinghe is scheduled to meet with Indian President Smt. Droupadi Murmu and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries to enhance bilateral relations and explore areas of mutual interest.

Ahead of his visit, Wickremesinghe assured Tamil parties that the proposed anti-terrorism law would be reviewed, as there was resistance from opposition parties. The new Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) will replace the 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which was introduced to counter separatist violence by Tamil minority militant groups.

India considers Sri Lanka an important partner in its Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. The visit aims to strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two countries and promote enhanced connectivity and cooperation across various sectors. The agenda also includes discussions on development initiatives in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, agreements on projects related to renewable energy, water supply, infrastructure development, investment promotion zones, and the tourism sector.

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This visit is significant as it is Wickremesinghe's first trip to India since becoming President. Last year, Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a people's uprising in July. The country experienced a critical shortage of foreign exchange reserves, leading to an unprecedented financial crisis.

President Wickremesinghe, who also serves as Sri Lanka's finance minister, expressed the country's interest in using the Indian rupee as much as the US dollar to address economic challenges.