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With China giving huge financial support to India’s neighbourhood, India has stepped up its financial help to its neighbours
New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar will go on a three-day official go to to Sri Lanka beginning Tuesday. With China giving huge financial support to India’s neighbourhood, from Nepal to Iran, India has stepped up its financial help to its neighbours in addition to nations within the Indian Ocean Region, together with Sri Lanka.
It could also be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a digital summit with Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on September 26. Ties between New Delhi and Colombo stay pleasant regardless of the problem of Indian Tamil fishermen being caught by the Sri Lankan authorities, which the 2 nations are attempting to resolve. India had stated final month that “there exists a common understanding to handle the matter in a humanitarian manner”.
In an announcement, the MEA stated: “At the invitation of Sri Lankan foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021. He will hold discussions with his counterpart and Sri Lanka’s leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations.”
The MEA added: “This will be the first foreign visit by EAM in 2021, and also the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the New Year. As such, it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest.”
China too has appreciable financial pursuits in Sri Lanka, which is why observers notice New Delhi goes all out to maintain the Chinese affect at bay. Government sources earlier advised this newspaper that India’s whole improvement help to Sri Lanka now exceeds $3.45 billion, of which $560 million is within the type of grant help. India’s support programmes in Sri Lanka give attention to capacity-building, human assets improvement connectivity and infrastructure improvement.
Not surprisingly, India has undertaken quite a few improvement initiatives masking all provinces in Sri Lanka. The sources stated these “span a wide range of areas, from cultural conservation in the form of restoration of Thiruketheeswaram Temple to the construction of iconic landmarks like the Jaffna cultural centre to enhancing connectivity through restoration of railway lines”. India has additionally “renovated various schools, provided computers and created English language labs across the country, besides upgrading four vocational training centres in the island nation”. But it’s the Indian housing mission to assemble 50,000 homes in Sri Lanka that’s India’s flagship and largest grant help mission in Sri Lanka.
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