• Source:JND
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Colombo: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Saturday, reaffirmed that the island nation will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability. The statement from Dissanayake came during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka.

"I reaffirmed Sri Lanka's stand that it will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability," said Dissanayake.

Why does Dissanayake assure India on security issue?

Earlier in October last year, a Chinese navy ship was allowed to dock in Sri Lanka despite a ban on foreign research vessels, which Colombo's new government said remained in force. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said China''s Po Lang, a triple-masted tall ship with 130 crew, was given permission to dock in Colombo because it was “a training vessel and not a research craft”. This raised eyebrows in Sri Lanka as it shares an international border with India.

Notably, New Delhi is suspicious of China's presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which are strategically placed halfway along key east-west international shipping routes.

It is worth mentioning that the island nation denied approval for China’s Xiang Yang Hong 3 "research ship" to enter its waters in January 2024, with the craft later moving to the neighbouring Maldives. Earlier port calls from the Chinese navy since 2022 had raised objections from India.

Dissanayake urges India to intervene on Exclusive Economic Zone issue

"I requested Prime Minister Modi's intervention in convening early bilateral technical discussions pertaining to Sri Lanka's claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the Establishment of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone," said Dissanayake.

He underscored that Sri Lanka recognises the importance of developing a digital economy to drive growth, innovation and efficiency and added he discussed the same with Prime Minister Modi. The Sri Lankan President said he discussed possible collaboration in digitalization in multiple domains with the Indian leader. "I thank the Government of India for the financial grant of Indian Rupees 300 crores to implement Sri Lanka's unique Digital Identity Project...," said Dissanayake.

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