Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval emphasized the immense potential for India and Sri Lanka to enhance economic cooperation, highlighting the mutual benefits stemming from their complementary bilateral ties. He made these remarks during a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Prime Minister’s office in Colombo yesterday (29).
Doval expressed India’s desire to further expand cooperation with Sri Lanka and sought the Prime Minister’s perspective on priority areas. Prime Minister Gunawardena identified the energy sector as a key area and thanked India for its support in both large and small-scale alternative energy projects. He noted that the Sri Lankan government is amending Ceylon Electricity Board regulations to facilitate private sector participation in electricity generation and distribution, which could lead to increased Indian investments in solar and wind power projects.
Doval suggested that Sri Lanka could potentially generate more power than its domestic needs in the future and sell excess power to India, resulting in significant financial benefits. He cited Bhutan’s example, where the sale of hydroelectric power to India is the country’s largest revenue source.
Prime Minister Gunawardena also mentioned that Sri Lanka’s Theravada economic policy is inspired by economic practices from India, dating back 25 centuries to the time of the Buddha, which he believes will complement economic growth. He further expressed gratitude to India for providing training to Sri Lankan armed forces and public servants to enhance their skills and efficiency.
The high-level Indian delegation led by Ajit Doval included High Commissioner Santosh Jha, Additional Secretary Puneet Agrawal, and senior officials Akshay Joshi, Gaurav Aluwhalia, and Teja Chandan. From Sri Lanka, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, Additional Secretary Harsha Wijewardene, and Advisor Sugeeswara Senadhira participated in the discussion.
