Sri Lankan Minister of Health and Mass Communication Nalinda Jayatissa praised India’s vital role in Sri Lanka’s path to prosperity and welfare, highlighting the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations.
Speaking about the recent visit of a 24-member high-level delegation of the Sri Lanka-India Parliamentary Friendship Association (SLIPFA) to New Delhi, Jayatissa underscored the centuries-old bonds that connect the two countries.
According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, Jayatissa, who led the delegation as SLIPFA President, shared his reflections during a dinner hosted by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha in honour of the SLIPFA delegation. The event was also attended by Sri Lankan Deputy Ministers and several Members of Parliament representing multiple political parties.
During their visit, the SLIPFA delegation met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in New Delhi. Speaker Birla emphasised Sri Lanka’s importance in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and its MAHASAGAR vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions – and called for more frequent bilateral exchanges between the two legislatures.
Birla highlighted recent high-level engagements, noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025 and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India in December 2024 as key milestones in bilateral relations. He welcomed the establishment of the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Sri Lankan Parliament, calling it a testament to the strength of bilateral ties.
He further stressed the importance of institutional cooperation and regular dialogue between the parliaments of both countries to exchange best practices, share legislative experiences, and strengthen democratic values. Birla also underscored the shared heritage of India and Sri Lanka, which spans thousands of years, and pointed to the development of the Ramayana and Buddhist tourism circuits, cultural exchanges, and growing people-to-people contact as important pillars of the bilateral relationship.
Jayatissa, in turn, thanked India for being the first responder during Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis and praised India’s role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region. He described India’s cooperation in health and education as a “lifeline” for Sri Lanka and reiterated Colombo’s commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation.
(IANS)
