Vice President Radhakrishnan Meets Sri Lankan President Dissanayake In Colombo
Radhakrishnan meets Sri Lankan President, discusses housing and fishermen issues.
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan held high-level talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo on Sunday, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing key issues including housing initiatives and long-standing fishermen concerns between the two neighbouring countries.
During the meeting, both leaders reviewed ongoing development partnerships, with particular emphasis on the Indian housing project in Sri Lanka. They also discussed India’s financial assistance package, including a USD 450 million support programme linked to recovery and rehabilitation efforts following Cyclone Ditwah, especially in affected regions and communities, including Indian-origin Tamil populations.
Vice President Radhakrishnan, who is on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka, highlighted India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to developmental cooperation with Colombo. According to officials, the discussions covered a broad range of India-backed projects currently being implemented in Sri Lanka, aimed at infrastructure development and humanitarian support.
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His visit marks a significant diplomatic milestone as it is the first time an Indian Vice President has travelled to Sri Lanka. He arrived in Colombo earlier in the day accompanied by a 49-member delegation and was received at Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and other senior officials.
A key point of discussion was the fishermen issue, a recurring and sensitive matter in India-Sri Lanka relations. Both sides acknowledged the need for a humanitarian approach, considering the livelihoods of fishing communities in Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka. The issue stems from frequent incidents in the Palk Strait, where fishermen from both countries are often detained for inadvertently crossing maritime boundaries while fishing in the resource-rich waters.
The Vice President is also scheduled to meet Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya during his visit. In addition, several memoranda of understanding between India and Sri Lanka are expected to be exchanged, further expanding cooperation in multiple sectors.
The visit is being viewed as an effort to reinforce the longstanding civilisational, cultural, and people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka. Officials from both sides stated that the engagement is expected to further deepen strategic and developmental cooperation between the two South Asian neighbours.
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