In appreciation of the enduring friendship and cooperation extended to the people of Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Disanayake conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana Award on Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The President presented the award to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi following an official meeting held on Saturday (05) at the Presidential Secretariat. The meeting took place as part of Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to Sri Lanka, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

[PMD]

Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between India and Sri Lanka, covering several key sectors, were exchanged on Saturday (05) morning at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Marking a new chapter in Indo-Sri Lanka relations, these agreements focus on enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, digitalization, defence, healthcare, and development assistance.
Accordingly, the following MoUs were exchanged:

1. MoU between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka for Implementation of HVDC Interconnection for Import/Export of Power- Exchanged by Prof. K.T.M. Udayanga Hemapala, Secretary of the Ministry Energy of Sri Lanka, and Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of India.

2. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation. – Exchanged by Mr. Varuna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy of Sri Lanka, and Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of India.

3. MoU between the Government of India, the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Government of United Arab Emirates for Cooperation in Development of Trincomalee as an Energy Hub – Exchanged by Prof. K.T.M. Udayanga Hemapala, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Sri Lanka; Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of India; and  Khaled Nasser AlAmeri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka.

4. MoU on Defence Cooperation between India and Sri Lanka – Exchanged by Retired Air Vice Marshal H.S. Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka, and Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary of India.

5. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Health & Medicine between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka- Exchanged by Specialist Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka, and Mr. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.

06 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Pharmaceutical Cooperation was exchanged between the Indian Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka – The MoU was exchanged by Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Specialist Dr. Anil Jasinghe, and  Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.

07 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Multi-sectoral Grant Assistance for Eastern Province was exchanged by Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies, Mahinda Siriwardana and Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.

A number of Cabinet Ministers representing the Government of Sri Lanka, along with India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other members of the Indian delegation, participated in this event.

Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Ranga Dissanayake, says that the abuse of the term “political victimization” will no longer be tolerated, and those who misuse the term will face strict legal action.

Dissanayake told a media conference held at the CIABOC auditorium: “There is a widespread perception that the law is not effectively enforced in this country. This perception has arisen because, as the President said on Anti-Corruption Day, small fish are caught while the big fish escape. This perception exists for several reasons, including delays in the Bribery or Corruption Investigation Commission’s processes. At times, the public is unaware of the injustices that occur within the Commission.”

Addressing politicians who make public statements, he requested, “I sincerely ask political leaders who issue statements to the media to kindly refer to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023 that you have endorsed. Please refrain from making certain statements without a proper understanding. This law has been enacted independently of any prior connections or influences. I have been in this position since the beginning of this year. The Bribery Commission currently has 31 legal officers, and there is no capacity to recruit additional staff at this time.”

He also highlighted the significant challenges faced by the Commission, revealing that approximately 4,000 unresolved case files remain due to limited resources and personnel. “No matter what we do, people will still ask, ‘How many criminals have been caught?’ This situation is the result of limited resources and staff,” he said.

Dissanayake also said: “If anyone is going to claim political victimization, let them find evidence and prove it. Otherwise, the powers granted by this law will be used against those who make false claims.”

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon