‘India Has Always Been the First Responder’: Sri Lanka’s Premadasa Hails Ties as Rajnath Singh Visits Colombo

Premadasa Praises India-Sri Lanka Relationship

Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Wednesday praised the country’s strong relationship with India during his meeting with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Colombo.

Premadasa described India as a “very close partner” and said the relationship between the two countries had grown across multiple areas, including development assistance, trade, business, government-to-government engagement and people-to-people ties.

‘India Has Always Been the First Responder’

Highlighting India's assistance to Sri Lanka during difficult periods, Premadasa said that “India has always been the first responder” and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting the island nation during times of crisis.

He specifically referred to India's assistance during Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka's economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. Premadasa said India's support had demonstrated the special nature of the bilateral relationship.

Rajnath Singh Meets Sri Lankan Leadership

Rajnath Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day official visit from September 8 to 10. The visit is focused on strengthening India's traditionally close relationship with Sri Lanka, particularly in areas such as defence and maritime cooperation.

Singh's visit is significant as it is the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years. He is leading a high-level delegation comprising officials from India's Defence and External Affairs ministries.

Defence and Maritime Cooperation in Focus

During his visit, Singh has held discussions with Sri Lankan leaders on strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security.

On Wednesday, Singh met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. The two sides discussed the broader India-Sri Lanka partnership and cooperation aimed at ensuring the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region.

Singh described India and Sri Lanka as “civilisational twins, close neighbours and maritime partners”, underlining the strategic importance of the relationship.

India Stands With Sri Lanka During Crises

Singh had earlier said that India would continue to stand firmly with Sri Lanka whenever the island nation faces a crisis.

The statement reflects New Delhi's emphasis on its role as a close neighbour and development partner of Sri Lanka, particularly following the country's severe economic crisis and other recent emergencies.

Sri Lanka Seeks Stronger Trade Ties With India

Premadasa also spoke about the importance of expanding economic relations with India.

He said Sri Lanka wanted India to become its largest export destination and expressed support for balanced free trade based on mutual interests. According to Premadasa, greater economic engagement could further strengthen the already broad partnership between the two countries.

A Broader Partnership Beyond Defence

The discussions in Colombo indicate that India-Sri Lanka relations extend well beyond defence cooperation.

Development assistance, trade, investment, economic engagement, maritime security and people-to-people connections are all becoming increasingly important components of the bilateral relationship.

Premadasa's remarks also suggest broad support within Sri Lanka's political spectrum for maintaining strong ties with India.

What Rajnath Singh’s Visit Means

Rajnath Singh's Sri Lanka visit comes at a time when India is seeking to deepen its engagement with its maritime neighbours and strengthen regional security cooperation.

With both sides emphasising defence, economic and development cooperation, the visit is expected to provide further momentum to the multifaceted India-Sri Lanka partnership.