Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka underscores New Delhi’s commitment to its “Neighbourhood First” policy
India and Sri Lanka have inaugurated a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), marking a significant step in their growing maritime security cooperation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on his first foreign visit of his second term, met with Sri Lankan leaders in Colombo to strengthen ties across various sectors.
Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka underscores New Delhi’s commitment to its “Neighbourhood First” policy. The MRCC’s launch comes six months after Sri Lanka imposed a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters, a move influenced by India’s concerns over Chinese surveillance vessels.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Jaishankar also handed over more than 150 houses built under two India-backed housing projects. These projects are part of New Delhi’s broader efforts to support Sri Lanka’s development, including initiatives in energy, financial, and physical connectivity.
The MRCC, with its main centre at the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters in Colombo and a sub-centre in Hambantota, is seen as a highlight of the meeting between Jaishankar and Wickremesinghe. “This initiative underscores the deepening maritime security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka,” stated a readout from the Sri Lankan president’s office.
Funded with a $6 million grant from India, the MRCC features seven unmanned installations along Sri Lanka’s coastline, including locations like Galle and Trincomalee. Established by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the MRCC will coordinate search and rescue operations at sea. Sri Lankan Navy teams have been trained by BEL to operate the centre.
In a social media post after his arrival in Colombo, Jaishankar emphasized Sri Lanka’s importance to India’s “Neighborhood First” and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies. He also expressed satisfaction with the progress of bilateral projects and initiatives during his meeting with Wickremesinghe. “Under President @RW_UNP’s guidance, discussed the way forward for the cooperation, especially in power, energy, connectivity, port infrastructure, aviation, digital, health, food security, education and tourism sectors,” Jaishankar said.
During the visit, Jaishankar and Wickremesinghe unveiled digital plaques to hand over 106 houses built under the Indian Housing Project in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Matale. These houses are part of a larger project to construct 4,000 houses, with over 3,700 already completed. Additionally, they handed over 24 houses in two model villages in Colombo and Trincomalee.
Jaishankar also met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to discuss capacity building and multilateral cooperation in forums like BIMSTEC, IORA, and the UN. Further meetings with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and opposition leaders focused on reinforcing India’s support through development and connectivity initiatives.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Gunawardena, Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka through various programs. “Confident that our development assistance and capacity building programs will keep delivering for the aspirations of people of Sri Lanka,” he said.
Overall, Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka highlights the ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral relations and support Sri Lanka’s development through various cooperative projects and initiatives.