‘Increased connectivity, economic linkages will provide SL access to Indian market’

The advantage of increased connectivity and economic linkages between India and Sri Lanka will provide Sri Lanka access to the huge Indian market, Former Indian Foreign Secretary and ambassador Shyam Saran said.

Ambassador Shyam Saran said so delivering a lecture at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), Colombo on November 17 on “India and Sri Lanka and the Asian Resurgence” marking the launch of the India-Sri Lanka foundation public lecture Series.

Ambassador Saran highlighted the current phase of Asian resurgence, which he expected would be durable in nature unlike in the past and on how it has created new opportunities for engagement between India and Sri Lanka. He also highlighted that the success of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement was a pointer for both the countries to expand their economic linkages. He gave examples of the KKS harbour and Northern Railway rehabilitation projects being implemented by India, and underlined that these will provide a fillip to the trade relations and also to people to people contacts.

Earlier this week Ambassador Saran also delivered a lecture at the University of Jaffna on “India’s Neighbourhood Policy and India-Sri Lanka Relations” and a lecture on “Challenge of Climate Change: Adding a new dimension to India-Sri Lanka Relations” at the University of Ruhuna, Matara.

All the three lectures and the subsequent interactive sessions received an enthusiastic response from the public.

Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation Dr. Sarath Amunugama and External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris were the guests of honour. Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha, and the BCIS chairman Rajah Kuruppu also attended the event along with members of the diplomatic corps, members of Parliament, think-tanks, media and other guests.

High Commissioner mentioned that ISLF had played an important niche role as a catalytic agent in furthering a closer partnership between India and Sri Lanka and had been a crucible for spawning ideas that had resulted in many key projects.