High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

High Commissioner Moragoda meets Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry; discusses support for economic recovery through bilateral trade expansion PDF Print option in slimbox / lytebox? (info) E-mail
Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:19
Continuing his discussions with key Union Ministers of India on Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda met with the Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal today (14/2) at the Vanijya Bhavan where the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is housed.  

Minister Goyal also holds the Ministerial portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution as well as Textiles. He is the Leader of the House of the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of the Indian Parliament. 

During the discussion between Minister Goyal and High Commissioner Moragoda, which was held in a very cordial manner, a wide range of issues pertaining to the areas of bilateral trade and commerce, particularly aiming at the economic recovery in Sri Lanka, was discussed. 

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked India for the unprecedented support that it has extended to Sri Lanka to mitigate the negative impact of the economic crisis. Recalling India’s timely issuance of financial assurances to the IMF, the first creditor to do so, High Commissioner Moragoda emphasized the key role that India could play in the recovery phase of the Sri Lankan economy. 

Mechanisms relating to the expansion of bilateral trade, the ways to establish and promote rupee trade between Sri Lanka and India as a means of economic recovery in Sri Lanka, and the possibility of further bilateral integration in the textiles and garment sector were among the key issues discussed between the Indian Commerce Minister and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. 

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Shri Piyush Goyal has also held the Ministerial portfolios of Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Coal, Power, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, previously.

High Commission of Sri Lanka
New Delhi
14 February 2023
 
High Commissioner Moragoda meets Finance Minister of India ahead of G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting PDF Print option in slimbox / lytebox? (info) E-mail
Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:11

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Milinda Moragoda met with the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman today (14) at the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi, as the latest of a series of meetings he has had with her since November 2021. 

The meeting between the Finance Minister of India and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka took place just ahead of the first meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers scheduled to be held on 24-25 February 2023 in Bengaluru, chaired by Minister Sitharaman.

During the discussion, High Commissioner Moragoda once again thanked Minister Sitharaman for the unprecedented emergency assistance that India has extended to Sri Lanka and for the timely issuance of India’s financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund, concerning the country’s debt restructuring process.

The High Commissioner also thanked India and Minister Sitharaman for the assistance being provided to Sri Lanka in the present economic recovery phase, in particular for the necessary regulations and approvals that are being set in place to facilitate rupee trade between the two countries. The discussion also focused on the ways and means to utilize the available resources in the 1 billion USD Indian line of credit to import urgently required essential pharmaceuticals, which are in short supply in Sri Lanka.  

High Commissioner Moragoda briefed Minister Sitharaman on Sri Lanka’s ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund to obtain the Extended Fund Facility and the present status of the country’s debt restructuring process. While apprising the Minister of the drastic impact the present economic contraction is having on the population of Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Moragoda expressed his appreciation to Minister Sitharaman for her efforts in garnering international support for Sri Lanka’s case including at the G20 forum. 

High Commission of Sri Lanka
New Delhi
14 February 2023
 
High Commissioner Moragoda meets with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra PDF Print option in slimbox / lytebox? (info) E-mail
Monday, 13 February 2023 04:45

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.

High Commission of Sri Lanka 
New Delhi 
10 February 2023

 
High Commissioner Moragoda interacts with Defence Advisers concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka PDF Print option in slimbox / lytebox? (info) E-mail
Thursday, 09 February 2023 13:15
Continuing his efforts to further expand engagement with the concurrently accredited Missions in New Delhi, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda had an interactive session with the New Delhi based Defence Advisers and Attachés concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka yesterday (09) at the High Commission premises. 

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. 

High Commission of Sri Lanka   
New Delhi 
09 February 2023
 
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Milinda Moragoda meets the Indian Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya; seeks to deepen health sector cooperation PDF Print option in slimbox / lytebox? (info) E-mail
Wednesday, 08 February 2023 12:23
hel1

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Milinda Moragoda met the Minister of Health & Family Welfare of India Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today (08) in New Delhi. Minister Mandaviya holds the portfolio of Chemicals & Fertilizers as well.

Minister Mandaviya warmly welcomed High Commissioner Moragoda. During the discussion that followed, the Minister and the High Commissioner focused on a range of issues pertaining to health sector, including the ways and means through which the existing cooperation between Sri Lanka and India in the health sector could be broadened and deepened.

The issues discussed included obtaining assistance in expediting the process for Sri Lankan importers procuring medicines from India, effective and efficient utilization of the existing Indian line of credit to purchase essential medicines, and a possible government to government mechanism to procure medicines from India. High

Commissioner Moragoda also requested the Indian Health Minister to explore the possibility of providing post-doctoral training opportunities for Sri Lankan medical professionals in Indian medical institutions.

Further, potential opportunities for Indian companies to establish Joint Ventures and bring in investments for establishing pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in designated zones in Sri Lanka were also discussed.

High Commissioner Moragoda also thanked Minister Mandaviya for the assistance extended by his Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers to materialize a line of credit of USD 55 million last year to purchase Sri Lanka’s requirement of urea for the Yala paddy cultivation season.

A Rajya Sabha MP from the State of Gujarat, Minister Mandaviya took charge as the Minister of Health & Family Welfare in July 2021 with the additional charge of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. Previously, he had served as the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

High Commission of Sri Lanka
New Delhi

08 February 2023

 


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