Surgical strikes were justified; SAARC should discuss terrorism: Lanka PM

NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday came out in support of India’s approach in dealing with attacks of the sort that happened in Uri recently and suggested that the regional grouping SAARC must discuss the key issue of cross-border terrorism.

“I held wide-ranging talks on the issue of cross-border (terrorism) with your PM. I complement PM Modi’s efforts. I commend his restraint. We will work with India,” the visiting leader told media persons after meeting his Indian counterpart.

Wickremesinghe is the first South Asian leader to visit India since the cross-LoC surgical strikes by the Indian Army on September 29. Stating that Sri Lanka understands pain of terrorism, having suffered it for decades, he said that India is undergoing a tense moment and that he understands the challenge this country is facing.

When asked about the future of SAARC amid terrorism in the region, he said that SAARC has to address the issue of cross-border terror to make the grouping work. While Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan had joined India to immediately pull out of the SAARC summit in Islamabad, Sri Lanka pulled out after a few days.

The China factor looms large in India-Sri Lanka ties, presenting a challenge to India's security in Indian Ocean Region. Wickremesinghe, on his part, said that China is largely an economic partner. “With India we have historical and civilisational ties for centuries and currently Colombo and Delhi are expanding their economic partnership across sectors. The Economic and Technology Agreement that will hopefully be in place by this year would boost our trade with five states in southern India,” he said.

The Sri Lankan PM said that the Chinese projects in the island state are purely economic in nature and have no security infrastructure associated with them.

Meanwhile, the German Ambassador to India Martin Ney came out in India’s support on Wednesday.

“There are two clear rules of international law: Every state has the legal obligation to make sure that from the territory it controls no terrorism emanates. And every state has the right to defend itself against international terrorism,” Ney said. “When it comes to counter-terrorism, Germany stands side by side with its strategic partner, India. We have ongoing bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism,” he said.