Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in Colombo and discussed a range of issues, with development cooperation emerging as a key focus of the talks.
The two leaders reviewed progress in several areas of mutual interest, including education, information technology, infrastructure, innovation and research, while also discussing ways to further strengthen the longstanding relationship between India and Sri Lanka.
During the meeting, Singh highlighted the deep civilisational ties shared by the two countries and said strong people-to-people exchanges continue to serve as an enduring link between India and Sri Lanka.
Singh said that as two sister democracies with a shared heritage, India and Sri Lanka should continue working towards a common developmental vision aimed at promoting regional peace and prosperity and improving the welfare of their people.
He identified capacity building as an important pillar of bilateral cooperation and said he hoped his visit would provide further momentum to the historic and multifaceted India-Sri Lanka partnership.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the importance of women’s participation in governance and leadership. Referring to Prime Minister Amarasuriya, Singh described her as a role model for women in both Sri Lanka and India and a symbol of women’s empowerment and Nari Shakti.
Singh said India would encourage more women from Sri Lanka to benefit from Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships and other initiatives of the Government of India aimed at increasing women’s participation in governance and leadership.
He also noted that India and Sri Lanka have produced several strong women leaders who have made significant contributions to nation-building.
