Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake rolled out the red carpet for Modi and conferred on him the country’s highest civilian honour for “the deep personal friendship” shown to the smaller neighbour.
“We believe that our security interests are aligned,” Modi said during a televised ceremony from Dissanayake’s office in the capital.
“Our security is interdependent and interconnected.”
A five-year defence cooperation agreement provides training of Sri Lankan military personnel in India as well as information and technology sharing.
Dissanayake applauded what he called “India’s rise as a world power, not just a regional power.”
“I have reiterated our position to Prime Minister Modi that Sri Lankan territory will not be allowed to be used by anyone to undermine India’s security,” he added.
On Saturday, Dissanayake welcomed Modi – the first foreign dignitary to visit Colombo since the leftist leader swept to power last year – with a 19-gun salute.
The two leaders also celebrated the start of construction of a 120-megawatt solar power project, developed as a joint venture between the two nations.
The solar plant, located in the island’s northeastern Trincomalee district, had been stalled for years but was reinvigorated with New Delhi’s backing.
Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka followed a summit in Thailand and a string of meetings with leaders of neighbouring nations as he sought to shore up India’s regional ties.
On the sidelines of the Bangkok BIMSTEC meeting – the grouping of seven nations on the Bay of Bengal – Modi held a rare face-to-face meeting with Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing.
He also held talks on Friday with the interim leader of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus – the first such meeting since a revolution in Dhaka ousted New Delhi’s long-time ally Sheikh Hasina and sent relations into a tailspin.
Modi also met on Friday in Bangkok with his Nepali counterpart, KP Sharma Oli – their first meeting since Oli returned to power last year – as well as Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan. (AFP)
