India, Sri Lanka unveil roadmap for deeper economic partnership

India and Sri Lanka on Friday adopted a vision document to significantly expand connectivity and economic ties even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to the island nation’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe the need to ensure a life of dignity for the Tamil community in that country. Following wide-ranging talks between Modi and Wickremesinghe, the two sides announced a raft of initiatives including expediting work to connect their electricity grids, begin talks on an economic and technology cooperation pact, a feasibility study for a petroleum pipeline and check viability of a land bridge to boost connectivity between the two neighbours. An agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lanka Pay for acceptance of the UPI application in Sri Lanka and an MoU for cooperation in the field of renewable energy were among five key pacts signed between the two sides. In his media statement, Modi said the security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are ”intertwined” and that it is necessary to work together keeping in mind each other’s security interests and sensitivities, in remarks that came against the backdrop of concerns in New Delhi over China’s attempts to expand influence over Colombo. The prime minister said the issues relating to the livelihood of fishermen figured in the talks and it was agreed that it should be dealt with a humane approach. The two sides also decided to start passenger ferry services between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanturai in Sri Lanka.