Sri Lanka president in India in first overseas trip

AFP | New Delhi

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Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed to bolster ties with India Monday on his first overseas visit as head of state, with a red carpet welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Leaders of the island nation typically make their first visit to regional powerhouse India, which competes with China for influence in the Indian Ocean.

Leftist Dissanayake, who came to power in September on a pledge to fight corruption, said the ties between the nations held a “significant place” in their foreign policy, adding that Modi had “assured us of full support”.

Modi said he was “happy” that India was Dissanayake’s first foreign visit, saying after their meeting it would “add new energy and speed” to ties.

New Delhi has been concerned about Beijing’s growing hold in Sri Lanka, and gave Dissanayake a warm welcome with a military honour guard parade at the presidential palace.

New Delhi is a key trading partner for Colombo -- Indian exports totalled $4.1 billion to Sri Lanka, versus $1.4 billion in reverse -- and is pushing infrastructure projects.

But China is Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral lender. Dissanayake is expected to travel to Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders in early 2025.