Colombo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed four agreements with neighboring country Sri Lanka as Indian PM on visit of three nations including Sri Lanka.
Notify that it is the first bilateral tour by an Indian premier in 28 years, with the Prime Minister announcing a slew of measures aimed at resetting ties with the strategic neighbor.
Prime Minister Modi had arrived Sri Lanka on Friday morning on the final stop of his three-nation tour of Indian Ocean island nations. He met Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and discussed bilateral and issues of regional importance.
In a joint press meet with Sirisena, PM Modi said, “I am conscious of the significance of this visit. This is the first stand alone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1987.”
The Prime Minister said his meeting with Sirisena has been very productive. He said, “It gives me confidence and optimism about the future of our relations.”
The two sides signed four agreements on visa, customs, youth development and building Rabinranath Tagore memorial in Sri Lanka.
He said, “The agreement today on cooperation between our customs authorities is a step in that direction. It will simplify trade and reduce non-tariff barriers on both sides.”
Modi said the progress made by two countries reflects “our shared commitment to stronger economic cooperation”.
He said, “Our trade has seen impressive growth over the past decade. I am aware of your concerns about trade with India. As I said in Delhi, we will try and address them.”
Modi said India stands ready to help Trincomalee become a petroleum hub and announced that New Delhi will provide a fresh Line of Credit of up to USD 318 million for the railways sector in Lanka. “This will be used to procure rolling stock, and to restore and upgrade existing railway track,” he said.
Bureau Report
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