'India will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sri Lanka,' says Rajnath Singh; calls ties 'relationship of hearts and souls'

Colombo [Sri Lanka]: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday reaffirmed India's commitment to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Sri Lanka in difficult times, describing the bilateral relationship as one of "hearts and souls" and highlighting New Delhi's role as the island nation's first responder.

Addressing Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his visit to Sri Lanka, Singh said India and Sri Lanka are "civilisational twins", sharing centuries of history, culture and heritage, and described Sri Lanka as one of India's "closest friends and valuable partners".

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"India has always been the first responder during the difficult times, and I assure you that we will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Sri Lankan friends. We strongly believe that real friends stand by each other in thick and thin. Our relationship is of hearts and souls," Singh said.

The Defence Minister recalled India's swift response following Cyclone Ditwah last year, when New Delhi launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu' to support Sri Lanka.

He said concerted efforts by the Indian Armed Forces and Sri Lankan government agencies helped save lives, restore connectivity and deliver relief and medical assistance.

Singh said Sri Lanka remains central to India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and its vision of 'MAHASAGAR', Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

He also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings to Dissanayake and congratulated him on completing two years in office, saying Modi looks forward to continuing to work closely with him to further strengthen the special relationship between the two countries.

"Under your leadership, our bilateral relations have received a fresh impetus. A lot of credit goes to your drive and leadership towards the deepening of our bilateral relations. We greatly value your friendship and support," Singh said.

On economic ties, Singh said India is among Sri Lanka's largest trading partners and its largest investor, and expressed New Delhi's keenness to further enhance trade and investment linkages.

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He said India looks forward to moving "expeditiously" on the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA).

Singh also underlined that India's development cooperation with Sri Lanka is "people-centric" and based on Colombo's priorities and requirements, with Indian-assisted projects covering major sectors across all districts of the island nation.

The Defence Minister said he was confident that with Dissanayake's vision and support, India-Sri Lanka ties would reach new heights, benefiting the two countries, their people and the wider region.