(UTV | COLOMBO) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that he was confident Sri Lanka will address the issues of the Tamils.
Delivering a joint media media briefing with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in New Delhi today, Modi said that was confident that the Sri Lankan Government will realize the expectations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace, and respect within a united Sri Lanka.
Modi also said that India has been a trusted partner in Sri Lanka’s development efforts and the new Lines of Credit announced last year will give more strength to their development cooperation.
He said that at talks held with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today, both sides discussed Joint Economic Projects in Sri Lanka, and also on enhancing mutual economic, business, and investment relationships.
“We also discussed increasing our people-to-people connectivity, encourage tourism, and improve connectivity,” he said.
Modi noted that terrorism is a major danger in the region and both countries have fought this problem firmly.
“There were painful and barbaric terrorist attacks on “Easter Day” in Sri Lanka in April last year. These attacks were not only a blow to Sri Lanka, but also to humanity as a whole,” Modi said.
Rajapaksa thanked Prime Minister Modi for his Government’s “Neighborhood First” policy and the priority that he attaches to relations with Sri Lanka.
“We agreed that our cooperation is multi-faceted, with priority given to a number of areas, including security, economic, cultural and social sectors. A part of our discussions centered on co-operation in regard to the security of our two countries. India has always assisted Sri Lanka to enhance our capabilities in intelligence and counter-terrorism, and we look forward to continued support in this regard,” Rajapaksa said.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa also invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Sri Lanka in the near future.