President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar engaged in significant diplomatic discussions at the President’s House today (20), focusing prominently on joint energy projects between India and Sri Lanka.
During their meeting, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar explored various initiatives aimed at bolstering energy connectivity and advancing the renewable energy sector.
Key topics included plans for LNG supply, a proposed petroleum pipeline connecting both nations, and the progress of oil and gas exploration projects. Notably, construction of the Sampur Solar Power Plant is scheduled to commence in July 2024.
Furthermore, discussions revolved around enhancing projects supported by India to strengthen Sri Lanka’s liquid milk industry and fertilizer production.
Plans under India’s assistance for the development of Trincomalee and the expansion of the Kankasanthurai port were also deliberated.
The meeting also addressed the ongoing development projects at Jaffna Airport and Colombo Airport with Indian support, alongside efforts to expedite Sri Lanka’s digital identity card initiative, a pivotal step towards national digitization.
The event was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera, Senior Adviser on National Security and Head of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, and Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake. The Indian delegation, including Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, also participated in the discussions.
