High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with the National Security Advisor of India Shri Ajit Kumar Doval, today (16) and discussed matters pertaining to India-Sri Lanka relations. The discussion focused on mutual strategic interests of the two countries and priority areas for cooperation.

The meeting took place as part of the regular and ongoing dialogue between the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and the National Security Advisor of India.  

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who is on a three day official visit to the State of Gujarat met with the Governor and the Chief Minister of the State. 

High Commissioner Moragoda’s meeting with the Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel was held on 11 January at the Chief Minister’s office in Gandhinagar. At the outset, the  High Commissioner congratulated the  Chief  Minister on his resounding victory at the recently concluded assembly elections in Gujarat. The discussion focused on the interactions between the State of Gujarat and Sri Lanka in multiple spheres and particularly in tourism sector. The importance of promoting the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka among Gujarati tourists and the Gujarat Buddhist Trail among Sri Lankan pilgrims was also discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda recalled how Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat signed an MoU on tourism cooperation in 2009 when he was the Minister of Tourism and the Present Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ways and means to further enhance economic activities and people to people contacts between Sri Lanka and Gujarat was discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda invited Chief Minister Patel to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at a mutual convenient time.

High Commissioner Moragoda met with the Governor of the State of Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat on 12 January at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. The Governor extended a warm welcome to the High Commissioner and the discussion was held in a very cordial manner. The discussion focused on the relations between Sri Lanka and Gujarat. Governor Devvrat is a practitioner of natural farming, and the High Commissioner sought his cooperation  in imparting technical knowhow to Sri Lanka in this method of farming. The Governor agreed to extend cooperation and invited High Commissioner Moragoda to visit his 200 acre natural farm in Kurukshetra, Haryana. High Commissioner Moragoda briefed the Governor about Sri Lanka’s decision to appoint a Honorary Consul in Ahmedabad to cover the State of Gujarat. The High Commissioner also invited Governor Devvrat to visit Sri Lanka.

High Commissioner Moragoda was accompanied to these meetings by Deputy High Commissioner Niluka Kadurugamuwa and Minister Counsellor of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Gamini Sarath Godakanda.

The meeting between the High Commissioner and the Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs was held in a very cordial manner this morning at the latter’s official residence, and the discussion focused on how to enhance interactions between the two parliaments through exchanges of committees, friendship groups etc. 

High Commissioner Moragoda’s meeting with Mr. Chaudhary was held in keeping with the objective, ‘Enhance cooperation at parliamentary level; boost parliamentary diplomacy’, stipulated in the ‘Integrated Country Strategy for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India 2021/2023’ policy roadmap of the High Commission. The High Commissioner also presented a copy of the Integrated Country Strategy to the Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs.

The High Commissioner and the Chairman also exchanged views on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka. High Commissioner Moragoda briefed him on the present developments in Sri Lanka and thanked India for the support it has extended to overcome the challenges posed by the economic crisis. The Chairman observed the deep and historical ties between the two countries and stated that India has always stood by Sri Lanka in keeping with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is a department related standing committee (DRSC) of selected members of parliament, constituted by the Parliament of India, for the purpose of legislative oversight of the foreign policy, and decision making of the Ministry of External Affairs. It is one of the 24 DRSCs that have been mandated with the task of ministry specific oversight. 

Shri P. P. Chaudhary is a Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha (Lower House) representing Pali Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan. He is also a member of the Estimates Committee and the Business Advisory Committee of the Indian Parliament. A senior advocate by profession, Mr. Chaudhary is a member of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party, and had previously served as the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Minister of State for Law & Justice as well as the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs.