New Delhi, Oct 15 (NationPress) The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya, is set to land in India this Thursday for a significant two-day official visit, her inaugural trip to the nation since taking office, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday.

Amarasuriya will remain in India through October 18, engaging with prominent political leaders to deliberate on essential bilateral matters and explore opportunities to enhance collaboration across various sectors.

As part of her itinerary, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister is scheduled to give the keynote speech at the ‘NDTV World Summit’, an event co-hosted by NDTV and the Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi.

In her dual role overseeing education in Sri Lanka, she plans to visit the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and NITI Aayog to discuss potential partnerships in education, innovation, and technology.

A proud alumna of Hindu College, University of Delhi, Amarasuriya will also return to her alma mater. The day’s events at the college are set to kick off at noon with a ceremonial Guard of Honour presented by 16 NCC cadets, followed by a symbolic tree plantation on the college lawn and cultural performances by students at the Sanganeria auditorium.

Moreover, the Sri Lankan leader will participate in a business event aimed at enhancing trade and commercial ties between India and Sri Lanka.

The MEA remarked, “This visit reflects the ongoing tradition of high-level exchanges between India and Sri Lanka, reinforcing the robust and multifaceted bilateral partnership. It aims to further solidify the bonds of friendship, bolstered by India’s ‘MAHASAGAR Vision’ and its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.”

In September, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi held extensive talks with Prime Minister Amarasuriya in Colombo, focusing on bolstering maritime cooperation and enhancing defense relations.

During this meeting, Amarasuriya emphasized the strategic significance of the ocean for maritime nations and the need for collaborative efforts to safeguard this shared resource.

She also pointed out the potential for deeper cooperation to tackle transnational issues such as anti-narcotics initiatives, illegal fishing, marine pollution, and maritime terrorism.

Additionally, she highlighted the necessity for increased coordination in search and rescue operations, improved information sharing, and expanding training collaborations between the Indian and Sri Lankan navies.

The Indian Navy noted that the discussions exemplified the “shared vision” of both countries to promote peace, stability, and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region through mutual trust and cooperation.

This visit follows a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo last April, where they signed several important agreements, including those focused on defense cooperation and the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub.

Other memorandums of understanding (MoUs) included agreements on implementing HVDC interconnection for power import/export, cooperation in sharing successful digital solutions for transformation, multi-sectoral grant assistance for the Eastern Province, and health and medicine collaboration, as well as pharmacopoeial cooperation.

Prime Minister Modi also unveiled a comprehensive capacity-building initiative in India for 700 Sri Lankans annually, announced India’s grant assistance for the development of various temples, the exposition of Lord Buddha relics in Sri Lanka on International Vesak Day 2025, and finalized bilateral amendatory agreements on debt restructuring.