High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

Continuing his engagement with the key officials of the Government of India, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda met with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra today (10) at the Prime Minister’s Office. 

A cabinet rank official, Dr. Mishra has been serving as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since September 2019. 

The meeting between the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka was held in a very cordial manner, and a range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relationship was discussed. 

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked Dr. Mishra for the support India has been extending to Sri Lanka in the context of the present economic crisis. The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, while recalling India’s historical and deep ties with Sri Lanka, stated that it was India’s duty to help its neighbour when it faced a crisis.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner also stressed the vital role that India could play in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery phase through tourism. The discussion focused on the ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector, including at the State level, using the MoU signed between Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat in 2009 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and High Commissioner Moragoda was the Tourism Minister of Sri Lanka, as a template. 

High Commissioner Moragoda also followed-up with Principal Secretary Mishra on the invitation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended to President Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit New Delhi. 

During the past few weeks, High Commissioner Moragoda also met with several other key officials of the Government of India, including Finance Secretary T.V. Somanathan, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Chairman of the NITI Aayog Parameswaran Iyer.

The Defence Advisers of Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, DPR Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Senegal, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Zambia took part in this interactive session. 

High Commissioner Moragoda warmly welcomed the Defence Advisers and Attachés, and briefed the salient pillars of the ‘Integrated Country Strategy,’ which has laid the strategic working framework for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India. He then appraised them of the present economic and political situation in Sri Lanka and thanked the international community for the assistance rendered in overcoming the economic challenges. The High Commissioner also emphasized the need to engage with friendly foreign countries to promote trade, investment, and tourism as a means to revive the Sri Lankan economy. 

Highlighting the vibrant Indo-Lanka relations, High Commissioner Moragoda elaborated the key role played by India by way of extending much-needed financial assistance worth of nearly USD 4 billion, which served as the lifeline that rescued Sri Lanka’s economy from a total collapse. He also deliberated upon the strong defence cooperation that exists between the two countries and the continued training assistance extended to the members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces by India, which includes over 400 monthly training opportunities.  

The High Commissioner also recalled the recently signed agreements between the two countries on the Colombo MRCC, Floating Dock and the Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft that are considered as important capacity and capability initiatives.   

High Commissioner Moragoda briefed the Defence Advisers on the strategic significance Sri Lanka holds in the Indian Ocean and highlighted some of the unique maritime security threats and challenges that Sri Lanka encounters in the Indian Ocean, and stressed the importance of having a collaborative approach towards addressing a wider spectrum of issues, especially in the maritime domain. 

Recalling the already-established defence cooperation arrangements with some of the other friendly foreign countries, the High Commissioner noted the importance of identifying newfangled areas of cooperation with the assistance of the accredited Defence Advisers in sectors such as capacity and capability building as a means of expanding defence cooperation with Sri Lanka.

This event is a continuation of a series of engagements that the High Commissioner has had with the envoys of the New Delhi-based diplomatic Missions who are concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka. 

The Office of the Defence Adviser of the High Commission of Sri Lanka acts as the nodal point in coordinating all matters pertaining to defence cooperation among the concurrently accredited Defence Advisers of 24 countries who are based in New Delhi. 

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi yesterday (7) and briefed her on the activities lined up for the celebration of the 75 th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and India.

The meeting was held at the Minister’s office at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi.

During the meeting, High Commissioner Moragoda briefed her on the activities the High Commission is planning to carry out this year to celebrate this important anniversary, in particular the exhibition titled ‘It is Essential to be There’ that features the works of Sri Lanka’s premier architect, the late Geoffrey Bawa. The High Commission is planning to hold this Exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi next month.

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked Minister Lekhi for making available theNGMA, which comes under her charge as the Minister of State of Culture, to hold theExhibition. Minister Meenakshi Lekhi pledged all possible support to make theExhibition a success.

The High Commission has planned a series of activities to celebrate the 75 thanniversary of Sri Lanka-India diplomatic relations. As the first of these activities, itreleased the Sinhala translation of renowned Indian author Jairam Ramesh's book"The Light of Asia; the poem that defined the Buddha", at the Independence Day flaghoisting ceremony held at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi on 04 February.