Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has arrived in Sri Lanka for a three-day official visit. During her visit, Minister Sitharaman is scheduled to partake in significant events and engage in bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan officials.
One of the highlights of her visit is the keynote address she will deliver as the Guest of Honour at the ‘NAAM 200’ event, organized by the Sri Lankan government to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of India-origin Tamils (IOTs) to Sri Lanka. The event will take place at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo on November 2.
She will also provide the keynote address at the India Sri Lanka Business Summit, with the theme ‘Enhancing Connectivity: Partnering for Prosperity,’ jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, to be held in Colombo on the same day.
As part of her visit, Minister Sitharaman will hold bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. She is set to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Solar Electrification of Religious Places in Sri Lanka, with India allocating INR 82.40 crores out of the Indian government’s grant assistance of INR 107.47 crores earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties.
The Finance Minister will also inaugurate State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Trincomalee and Jaffna on November 2 and 3, respectively.
During her visit to Sri Lanka, Minister Sitharaman will visit several cultural and religious sites, including the Sri Dalada Maligawa (The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, and Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna. She will also explore the Lanka IOC Oil Tank Farms, Jaffna Cultural Centre, and Jaffna Public Library.
