Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Friday evening to a warm welcome by five senior ministers, including Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. On Saturday morning, he received a ceremonial reception at Independence Square—an honour accorded for the first time to a foreign leader—by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
PM Modi, who arrived after a Thailand visit, expressed gratitude on social media and was also welcomed by Indian-origin residents at his hotel.
This visit, his first to Sri Lanka since 2019, marks President Dissanayake’s first hosting of a foreign dignitary. Modi and Dissanayake are expected to announce around 10 key agreements in defence, energy, and digital cooperation. A proposed MoU on defence ties is seen as a turning point in bilateral relations, decades after the Indian Peace Keeping Force’s withdrawal.
India, having extended $4.5 billion in aid during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, is also set to support debt restructuring. Both leaders will visit Anuradhapura on April 6 to pay respects and inaugurate India-backed development projects.
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