Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath emphasized the importance of Sri Lanka and India collaborating on pressing global challenges such as terrorism and climate change, highlighting the need for regional and multilateral approaches.
Addressing a reception hosted by the India Foundation at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi yesterday, Minister Herath stressed that the close partnership between the two nations would continue to flourish. He expressed gratitude for the warm responses received during the ongoing visit, calling them “extremely encouraging and pleasing.”
The Minister noted that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s first overseas visit to India underscores the strong bilateral ties between the two countries, which are built on deep historical, civilizational, and cultural bonds extending back over 2,500 years.
“India gifted Buddhism to Sri Lanka, which led to the growth of a Buddhist civilization on the island over two millennia ago, while Hinduism also enriched our socio-cultural fabric through centuries of interaction and movement of people,” he said.
Herath underscored the shared heritage in literature, languages, architecture, and economic practices, emphasizing how these historical and cultural connections have shaped modern Sri Lanka-India relations.
Highlighting tourism as a key area of partnership, he noted that the largest number of tourists to Sri Lanka are from India. He also acknowledged the enthusiasm for Sri Lanka among Indian intellectuals and think tanks.
In a broader political context, the Minister remarked on the unprecedented two-thirds majority achieved by the current administration under the present electoral system, which he described as a “people’s mandate” cutting across provinces, ethnicities, and communities.
India Foundation President Dr. Ram Madhav chaired the session, with former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh also addressing the gathering.
Minister Herath’s remarks reinforced the commitment to deepening ties between the two nations while seeking collective solutions to shared challenges.
