Indo-Lanka Relations: Now, It’s Hoping For The Best
The Sri Lankan President’s visit to India has opened a new chapter in bilateral ties. But it’s too early to tell how the new regime will manage its relations with Delhi and Beijing
by Geethanjali Nataraj and Richa Sekhani
( March 1, 2015, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) India-Sri lanka relations go back to nearly 2,500 years. Both countries have intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic ties with each other. The association between the two countries is both matured and diversified. Presently, bilateral relations between the two countries is marked by people-to-people contact, burgeoning trade and investments, cooperation in various other fields of development as well as a broad understanding on major issues of international interest. This was observed during the recent India visit by Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena from February 15 to February 18.
This visit was a fruitful one. Four bilateral agreements were signed which are expected to play an important role to further strengthen the partnership and trust between both the countries. Out of the four agreements, the most notable agreement is on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Since 2010, Sri Lanka has wanted to utilise nuclear energy in industrial applications as well as in fields such as medicine and agriculture.
The agreement is reflective of the new Lankan Government’s pro-Indian approach, as it focuses on knowledge and expertise exchange, resource sharing, capacity building and personnel training in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The agreement will also facilitate cooperation in radioactive management which will lead to food preservation, mitigation of disaster caused by nuclear and radiology.
Another important arena in which both the countries signed an agreement was on cultural cooperation from 2015 to 2018. This programme envisages enhancement of cooperation in a variety of fields such as performing arts, libraries, archives and documentation, publications and professional exchange.
The two sides also discussed defence and security issues. The growing proximity between Sri Lanka and China with regards to the latter pumping billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, Colombo’s support to Chinese maritime trade routes and its permission to Chinese submarines to dock along its coastline (during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime), was also discussed. Talks to enhance defence and security cooperation in the existing trilateral format with Maldives also rejuvenated a sense of trust between both the countries.
Giving importance to the fishermen issue, leaders from both the countries pledged to resolve it in a ‘constructive and humanitarian’ way. Further, on the Tamil issue, both parties manifested efforts to establish unity with the minority Tamil group. The visit also saw signing of two memorandums, one with regard to Nalanda University and another for cooperation in the field of agriculture between India and Sri Lanka.
Although, India could only be of limited help to address Sri Lanka’s infrastructure deficit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his talks with President Sirisena, pushed for greater political and trade linkages. On the commercial front, India and Sri Lanka are together in several regional and multilateral organisations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, the South Asian Economic Union and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
The India-Sri Lanka free trade Agreement, signed in 1998, has proved to be a successful initiative. India has become one of the largest trade partners of Sri Lanka. Bilateral trade between both the countries amounted to $4.01 billion in 2012 and India is the fourth largest investor in Sri Lanka with an investment of about $160 million.
Looking at the success of FTA, both the countries are trying to negotiate a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to enhance cooperation and include various other subjects into the agreement. However, critics of the Cepa have obstructed the negotiations. The successful visit of Mr Sirisena, and Mr Modi’s promise to take the bilateral relation to a new level, may help resume the stalled talks on Cepa.
Mr Sirisena’s visit renewed ties which had taken a back seat during his perdecessor’s tenure. Mr Sirisena’s decision to visit India as his first foreign destination indicated the importance that Sri Lanka accords to India. It also shows his desire to guide Sri Lanka towards a better future with India.
Mr Sirisena’s visit will be followed up by Mr Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in March. Herein lies an immense opportunity for India to further cement the relationship. The comprehensive India-Sri Lanka agreement, and issues related to tourism which were not discussed during Mr Sirisena’s visit, are expected to be taken up during Mr Modi’s visit.
However, the pro-China lobby that is active in Sri Lanka, may make it difficult for India to increase its influence. China has invested four billion dollars in the Sri Lankan economy in the last five years and become Colombo’s largest foreign investor. It will be interesting to see how Mr Sirisena implements his “balanced foreign policy” approach in maintaining relations with China and India.
The sub-continent will particularly keep watch when Mr Sirisena visits China on March 26 — only days after Mr Modi tours Sri Lanka. It is hoped that the growing dominance of China in South Asia and its good ties with Sri Lanka will not come in the way of India-Sri Lanka trade, investment and diplomatic relations.
(Geethanjali Nataraj is a Senior Fellow and Richa Sekhani is a Researcher at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi)
