New Delhi, July 21: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said India looks forward to continuing and strengthening its developmental partnership with Sri Lanka under leadership of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. President Murmu on Friday met her Sri Lankan counterpart Wickremesinghe at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

While welcoming the Sri Lankan President to India, President Murmu said: “Sri Lanka occupies a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region) Vision”, according to an official release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe Requests India’s Help To Integrate IT in Country’s Civil Service.

“India’s multi-pronged support to Sri Lanka in the last one year to tide over its economic challenges is a testament to India’s long-standing commitment to bilateral relations with Sri Lanka," President Murmu said. She emphasized that India has always stood with Sri Lanka during its hour of need and would continue to do so in future as well,” she said.

President Murmu said India-Sri Lanka partnership is enduring and beneficial to the common people of our two countries and the larger Indian Ocean Region, as per the official release. During the meeting, the two leaders noted that India and Sri Lanka are working on many key projects in several sectors, and that India-Sri Lanka development partnership has touched the lives of Sri Lankans in a positive way. India, Sri Lanka Agree To Facilitate Mutual Investments Through Policy Consistency, Promoting Ease of Doing Business and and Fair Treatment of Investors.

The Sri Lankan President on Thursday arrived in Delhi on a two-day official visit to India. Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan welcomed Wickremesinghe at the airport. Meanwhile, PM Modi on Friday said Sri Lanka is key to India's Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR efforts. PM Modi said he discussed India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties with the Sri Lankan President.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, PM Modi stated, "Glad to welcome President Wickremesinghe. I congratulate him on completing a year in office and working for Sri Lanka’s progress with great courage. Sri Lanka is key to our 'Neighbourhood First' and 'SAGAR' efforts and thus, we discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties."

PM Modi said he and Wickremesinghe discussed how to boost the economic partnership between the two nations. The two leaders worked to deepen connectivity and cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in tourism, energy, trade, education, fintech and skill development. PM Modi said he and Sri Lankan President also discussed the issue of Indian fishermen.

PM Modi tweeted, "President Wickremesinghe and I discussed how to boost the economic partnership between India and Sri Lanka. We also worked to deepen connectivity and cooperation in tourism, energy, trade, education, fintech and skill development." India, Sri Lanka on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of renewable energy. Another MoU was signed on cooperation for economic development projects in the Trincomalee district of Sri Lanka.

The two countries issued a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) in the field of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Network to Network Agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lanka Pay for UPI application acceptance in Sri Lanka. An Energy Permit was issued for the Sampur Solar Power Project.

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