New Delhi, December 16
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake today clarified in a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the territory of the island nation will not be allowed to be used against the interests of India. Dissanayake has given this assurance at a time when New Delhi is worried about China’s growing influence over Colombo. Dissanayake, who came to India for a three-day visit, discussed various issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the talks, the two leaders have agreed to speed up the defense cooperation agreement and have decided to boost energy relations with the establishment of power grid connectivity and multi-product petroleum pipelines. Mr. Modi said in a statement to the media that he and the President of Sri Lanka are in full agreement that the security interests of both countries are intertwined and it has been decided to finalize the security cooperation agreement soon. Dissanayake thanked India for the financial assistance of 20.66 million dollars. -News-Patiala
