India and Sri Lanka sign the defense and energy agreements while Modi's visit strengthens links

Colombo, Sri Lanka (AP) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday, construction work inaugurated on a solar factory Sri Lanka Voisin and witnessed the signing of the energy and defense agreements considered as efforts to Consolidate the influence of New Delhis in the island nation struck by debt.

India was concerned about the growing presence of Chinas in Sri Lanka, which is located on one of the most frequented shipping routes in the world in what India considers a part of its strategic backyard.

Beijing provided to Sri Lanka billions of dollars in loans for development projects. But the economic collapse of Sri Lankas in 2022 changed the country's priorities and provided the occasion to India, while New Delhi intervened with massive financial and material assistance. At the same time, Chinese support for the restructuring of its infrastructure loans is vital for Sri Lanka.

Modi on Saturday had talks with President of Sri Layan, Anura Kumara, Disanayaye And the two practically inaugurated constructions work on a solar power plant of 120 megawatts funded by the Indians, which is being joint venture between the two countries.

Sri Lanka faced a serious energy shortage in 2022 after being unable to pay oil and coal to supply its electric factories. He also set ambitious objectives to reduce his dependence on fossil fuels.

Modi welcomed the defense cooperation agreements and said that the two parties agreed to work together on security cooperation in the Indian Ocean thanks to a regional group called Colombo Security Conclave, which also includes Bangladesh, the Maldives and Maurice.

I am grateful to the Dissanayake president for his sensitivity to the interests of the India. We believe that we have shared security interests. The security of the two countries is interconnected and co-dependent, said Modi.

He said India has a special place for Sri Lanka in his first neighborhood policy and fulfilled his duties as a really friendly neighbor when Sri Lanka was in trouble.

Modi received Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana, the highest price awarded to a foreign leader.

Dissanayake said he had reiterated during the talks with Modi that the territory of Sri Lankas will not be used for acts which could harm Indias Security and the stability of the region.

China plans to build an oil refinery of $ 3.7 billion near the port of Hambantota, which was taken over by Beijing after Sri Lanka did not reimburse the loan to develop the port. It gives China a key foot in the country directly opposite the India coast.

India and China both agreed with conditions with Sri Lanka for the restructuring of its debt, which would allow the country to get out of bankruptcy and rebuild the economy in tatters.

While the agreements were signed, hundreds of demonstrators gathered opposite the main railway station of Capital Colombos, saying that the agreements were a betrayal of the country to Indian domination.

The front -line socialist party, a radical party of the release of the dissanaykered peoples, accused the president of retreating his original stand on India. Party leader Kumar Gunaratnam said that India had never been a real friend of Sri Lanka.

The Dissanayake party took up arms against a 1987 peace agreement between India and Sri Lanka, but has since moderated its policy on its giant neighbor.

India, which has its own important Tamil population, intervened in 1987 and signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to resolve the Sri Lankas civil conflict. Some Tamil armed groups have accepted the agreement, the Tigouls Tamil, the largest group, rejected it and continued to fight for separation. Government troops crushed the Tamil tigers in 2009, and since then, the government has faced international pressures to resolve the problem of sharing power by talks.

The photographer of the Associated Press, Eraga Jayawardena, contributed to this report.