Latest News

Sri Lankan territory will not be used for any purpose that could undermine India’s security or regional stability – President

Published

1 year ago

2025/04/6

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake issuing a joint press statement on Saturday [05] reaffirmed that Sri Lankan territory will not be used for any purpose that could undermine India’s security or regional stability.

The full text of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s statement:

“His Excellency Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
Her Excellency Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasooriya,
Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends from the Media,

Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Namaste, and Good Morning!

I warmly welcome His Excellency the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the distinguished delegation, as the first Head of State to visit Sri Lanka since the formation of our government. I consider it as a historic occasion to recognize the achievements of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who assumed office with a strong public mandate to transform the political culture and overcome long-standing prejudices that had hindered his country’s progress toward becoming a modern, developed nation.

This visit reflects the deep-rooted closeness and friendship that have existed between Sri Lanka and India for ages. It is worth noting that the bond between our two countries separated by a narrow stretch of ocean less than 50 kilometers wide, is even closer than this physical proximity suggests.

India, a land of rich diversity, has made significant contributions to the world’s cultural and spiritual heritage throughout history, and it continues to play a prominent role on the global stage today. We have witnessed India’s remarkable rise and success. We sincerely applaud the way India has positioned itself not only as a regional power but also as a global leader. It is important to emphasize that our admiration is genuine and heartfelt. Like India, Sri Lanka firmly believes in the potential of South Asia to rise and shine on the world stage, a goal that we must strive to achieve together.

Sri Lanka and India share far more than geographical proximity. We are neighbours bound by deep historical, religious, and cultural ties that span over two thousand five hundred years. Our enduring relationship that has withstood the test of time is founded on shared values, mutual respect, and common aspirations. As civilizational partners, Sri Lanka and India have grown close across every sphere, including history, language, religion, ethics, art, culture, architecture, and beyond, reflecting the richness and dynamism of our two nations.

One of the closest and most enduring examples of friendship that we fondly recall is India’s gesture during the 1996 Cricket World Cup, when India joined Sri Lanka in an exhibition match after two teams declined to tour our country due to security concerns. We take this opportunity to once again express our heartfelt gratitude for that act of solidarity.

Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is firmly guided by national interests, with a focus on promoting peace and respecting the sovereignty of all nations, principles that form the foundation of our diplomatic roadmap. Just prior to this event, Prime Minister Modi and our delegation held bilateral discussions.

We conducted a broad review of the current state of our bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on ways to further strengthen our relations in areas of mutual interest.

Recalling my successful visit to New Delhi, I conveyed to Prime Minister Modi Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to implementing the actions outlined in the India-Sri Lanka Joint Declaration titled “Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future,” which was adopted during that visit.

I expressed my gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India for their steadfast support in the recovery, growth, and stability of our country’s economy.

Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and transformative initiatives, which have elevated India to the global stage, along with his personal friendship with Sri Lanka, have brought immense benefits to us in the areas of economic reforms, infrastructure development, and social empowerment.

I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Modi for his unwavering commitment and support to our country’s economic recovery process and sustainable development, in alignment with India’s foreign policy framework of “Neighborhood First.”

I briefed Prime Minister Modi on the success of our debt restructuring programme and provided an update on our current economic situation, which is progressing towards stability. I am deeply grateful for the support of the Government of India throughout the debt restructuring process

We had detailed discussions on the further development of the already exsisting defence cooperation between our two countries. I reaffirmed our commitment that Sri Lankan territory will not be used for any purpose that could undermine India’s security or regional stability.

I requested Prime Minister Modi’s intervention to urgently initiate bilateral technical discussions regarding Sri Lanka’s claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, with the aim of establishing the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond the mutual exclusive economic zone.

Sri Lanka recognizes the importance of developing a digital economy to drive growth, innovation, and efficiency. We discussed the potential for digitalization cooperation across several key areas. I am deeply grateful to the Government of India for their financial contribution of INR 300 million towards the implementation of the Sri Lanka Digital Identity (SLUDI) project.

We also acknowledged that the partnership between our two countries plays a crucial role in strengthening both our economic and people-to-people ties. I extended my thanks to Prime Minister Modi for converting the US$ 14.9 million line of credit provided for the construction of the Maho-Omanthai railway line into a grant for the installation of the signalling system on the Maho-Anuradhapura railway line.

Prime Minister Modi and I are pleased to announce that we will inaugurate these two projects in Anuradhapura on Sunday [06]. We discussed in detail our government’s priority to ensure reliable, affordable, and timely access to energy resources to meet the needs of the people. We also explored further cooperation in this area to achieve energy security and meet the growing demands of our population.

Additionally, we exchanged views on development cooperation, particularly in agriculture. Prime Minister Modi and I also addressed trade and investment cooperation between our two countries. We sought the support of the Government of India and Prime Minister Modi to encourage increased Indian investments in Sri Lanka, particularly in key areas of mutual interest.

Our discussions also covered cooperation in the tourism sector. India has consistently been the largest source of tourists visiting Sri Lanka, and we agreed to enhance cooperation to fully realize the potential of this sector.

Lastly, we requested Prime Minister Modi’s intervention to expedite the conclusion of the social security agreement between our two countries, which will benefit our expatriate workers.
We discussed the need for a cooperative approach to providing a sustainable solution to the fisheries issue. Recognizing the serious environmental damage caused by bottom trawling, a prohibited practice in both our countries, we called for decisive measures to halt this activity and to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

Today, we are pleased to participate in the exchange of several important bilateral agreements between Sri Lanka and India, covering areas such as energy, security cooperation, health sector collaboration, infrastructure projects, and debt restructuring.

This marks another significant step forward in our relationship. I am particularly pleased to join the virtual ceremony with Prime Minister Modi to lay the foundation stone for the Sampur Solar Power Plant, which will contribute 120 MW to our national grid. Additionally, we are launching the project to provide solar power systems to 5,000 religious sites across Sri Lanka, and inaugurating the Dambulla Temperature and Humidity Controlled Agro Cold Storage complex, the only temperature-controlled agricultural warehouse in Sri Lanka. We are deeply grateful to the Government of India for its generous cooperation and support in realizing these people-centric projects.

I am also pleased to announce that Prime Minister Modi and his delegation will visit Anuradhapura tomorrow, which stands as a symbol of the great civilization that emerged in our country following the arrival of Buddhism, the greatest gift we have received from India. Prime Minister Modi will also pay homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura.

During the recent economic crisis, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would continue to support Sri Lanka in strengthening its democracy, stability, and economic recovery. It must be emphasized that India’s support, as a partner and friend, played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s resilience. The people of both our nations must be given the opportunity to embrace a common path forward, through partnership in development, innovation, security, stability, peace in the Indian Ocean region, and the prosperity of our people.

India and Sri Lanka are not merely two countries on a map. It is essential to recognize that they are two nations deeply connected by history, strongly united by trade, and bound by friendship. I would also like to commend Prime Minister Modi’s concept of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (Together with all, development for all), which is a timely and pragmatic vision.

I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer upon Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi the highest Sri Lankan honor, the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana,’ as a symbol of the enduring friendship and unwavering, multifaceted support that he has consistently extended to Sri Lanka and its people. This prestigious honor is reserved for foreign heads of state in recognition of their friendship and cooperation with the people of Sri Lanka. We firmly believe that Prime Minister Modi, who has always stood by Sri Lanka, is most deserving of this distinction.

In Sri Lanka, we too are on a transformative path, which we call the “A Thriving Nation and a Beautiful Life” National Policy. This policy is designed to pave the way for economic progress, social justice, and to provide every citizen with the opportunity to prosper, regardless of their background.

As neighbors, partners, and long-standing friends, let us resolve, at this moment, to build a future filled with shared development. Once again, I express my sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his delegation for visiting Sri Lanka at this crucial time, when a people-centered political transformation is underway.”

[PMD]

All News Advertisement

Latest News

US strikes Iran’s Qeshm, says Tehran attacks Kuwait, Bahrain

Published

2 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces conducted “self-defence” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island and “defeated multiple” Iranian missiles and drones as civilian vessels and regional allies Kuwait and Bahrain came under attack.

Kuwait’s military said air defence systems intercepted incoming drones and missiles, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said warning sirens were activated. Earlier, Iranian media reported that explosions were heard in the vicinity of Qeshm Island.

[Aljazeera]

Foreign News

Trump berated Netanyahu? Analysts question US-Israel feud rumours

Published

3 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clasp hands after meeting at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 29 [Aljazeera]

In January 2024, the publication Axios reported that the United States president at the time, Joe Biden, was “running out of patience” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza had been raging for months by that point, and Biden was facing public backlash over US support for the conflict.

The assault would continue for the rest of Biden’s term and bleed into the first 10 months of Donald Trump’s second presidency.

Since then, media outlets have continued to publish anonymous accounts of rifts and “frustrating” calls between Trump and the Israeli prime minister. But US support for its Middle East ally has never wavered.

Another anonymously sourced report about a furious, expletive-laden call between US and Israeli leaders came out this week, and it spread rapidly across international media.

Axios reported on Monday that Trump called Netanyahu “f***ing crazy” and berated him over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon.

Around the same time, an Israeli attack killed six people, including two children, in the southern Lebanese town of al-Marwaniyah.

Experts say that despite leaks of feuds and harsh words between US leaders and Netanyahu, policies are ultimately what matters, and they have changed very little.

Ryan Costello, the policy director at the National Iranian American Council Action (NIAC), said political observers have grown to “mock” reports of closed-door anger from US presidents against Netanyahu.

“What’s really important is what actually happens in practice,” Costello told Al Jazeera.

Though there are reports of Trump giving Netanyahu a dressing-down, Isabelle Hayslip, an advocacy manager at the US-based rights group DAWN, said that US policy remains aligned with Israeli interests.

“Single-source reporting of Trump as a strongman who picks up the phone and yells at Netanyahu for undermining US policy is contradicted by the actual policy outcomes where Netanyahu gets exactly what he wants,” Hayslip told Al Jazeera.

“Trump has no final say over Israeli actions. Like his predecessors, the president has proved completely unable to prioritise American interests, instead catering to Israel’s expansionist whims.”

The latest report comes as Trump faces increasing pressure from his Democratic rivals and segments of his base over his handling of the war on Iran, which he launched jointly with Netanyahu on February 28.

The conflict, which saw Iran close the Strait of Hormuz, has sent gasoline prices soaring in the US and fuelled inflation.

Critics have accused Trump of allowing Israel to drag the US into a war that does not advance Washington’s priorities.

With negotiations to end the war stagnating, Israel’s escalation in Lebanon and its threat to bomb Beirut risks derailing the fragile truce that came into effect in April.

Iranian officials have suggested that they cut off contact with the US over the Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Before the Axios report, Trump announced he had spoken to Netanyahu and an unidentified Hezbollah representative, and both sides agreed that “all shooting will stop”.

But Netanyahu was quick to assert that the Israeli military “will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon”, where it is deepening its invasion and turning entire towns into rubble.

Advocates say Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and across the region could not have happened without US backing.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the US has provided Israel with nearly $25bn in military aid, helped fend off retaliatory Iranian attacks against the country and vetoed several ceasefire resolutions at the United Nations Security Council.

Nonetheless, anonymous accounts that the US president is angry at Netanyahu have become a regular feature in the media.

Such reports are attributed to US officials, but it is unclear how leaks with a similar message on the same topic have continued across two administrations from different political parties.

Publicly, aides of both Biden and Trump have largely refrained from criticising Israel.

Trump has regularly praised the Israeli prime minister, arguing on more than one occasion that Israel would have ceased to exist without Netanyahu’s leadership.

In December, the US president also called the Israeli prime minister a “hero” during a meeting in Florida.

“We’re with you, and we’ll continue to be with you,” Trump told Netanyahu.

Two weeks earlier, Axios reported that the White House had “scolded” Netanyahu over Israel’s ceasefire violations in Gaza.

“The White House message to Netanyahu was: ‘If you want to ruin your reputation and show that you don’t abide by agreements, be our guest, but we won’t allow you to ruin President Trump’s reputation after he brokered the deal in Gaza,” the publication quoted a US official as saying.

Few people know the exact content of high-level calls at the White House. Sometimes, top officials, including members of the National Security Council, sit in on conversations between the president and world leaders after briefings.

Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a research nonprofit, said the leak about the tense call between Trump and Netanyahu may be aimed at making Trump look tough on Israel to quell outrage over the war.

“It could be sort of a way of moderating the anger or the blame at the US for continuing this unpopular, illegal, unnecessary war,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera.

She added that the message it sends is, “Look, we’re very angry at Israel. We yell at them. We call them names.”

But Mortazavi stressed that policy is more important than rhetoric: “Does that change the facts on the ground?”

For his part, Costello argued that the leak was likely directed at Iran.

“I see this one primarily as a signal to the Iranians that Trump is serious, and he wants to insulate what’s happening in Lebanon and Israel’s attacks from the Iran negotiations,” Costello said.

“It remains to be seen the extent to which that excoriation has actually led to a change in Israel’s policies, and I think there is a strong incentive for continued defiance from Netanyahu.”

Axios, meanwhile, has defended its coverage.

“We stand by our reporting, which by the way noted ‘Trump and Netanyahu have had several tense calls in the past but have still coordinated closely on Iran and other issues,’” Jake Wilkins, a spokesperson for the publication, told Al Jazeera in an email.

Mortazavi warned that all sides of the war on Iran are trying to influence public perceptions of the conflict.

She pointed to recent reports that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had resigned, a rumour that was promptly denied by his office.

“This is a very hybrid war. It’s a war on the battlefield. It’s an intelligence war. It’s a war of narratives,” Mortazavi told Al Jazeera. “And then there’s also an information war, which includes disinformation, half-truths and strategic leaks.”

[Aljazeera]

Latest News

West Indies, Sri Lanka in high-stakes push to claim 2027 World Cup spot

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/3

Priyan

Shai Hope is the only batter in the series who can be called a reliable run machine [Cricinfo]

Where once ODI bilaterals could have been fairly mocked for their lack of relevance, they are played less and less, and this series has a bit of heat to it. Qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup is on the line, and both these sides know what it’s like to be left out of a major international tournament (both were missing from the last Champions Trophy, and West Indies had also not played the 2023 World Cup).

On March 31, 2027, the eight highest-ranking teams – aside from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe – will qualify automatically for the World Cup, and teams slightly lower will have to fight their way in through a qualifier. Currently Sri Lanka are ranked sixth in ODIs, while West Indies are ninth. Both teams could do with a rankings boost.

Sri Lanka are in slightly better shape coming into this series. They have, at the very least, played ODIs this year, losing 2-1 at home to England. West Indies have lost four of their last five ODIs, and have not played the format for six months. Both teams have more or less their regular ODI troops to pick from, however. Sri Lanka’s seam stocks are in especially good health at present.

Sri Lanka’s ODI captaincy has been one of cricket’s most-puzzling roulette wheels over the past ten years. Kusal Mendis had had the job until 2024, when he was ousted with no reason provided. He has again been put in charge, perhaps with a view to him leading Sri Lanka into that 2027 World Cup campaign. There’s been little to recommend him for the role than his own buoyant batting form, however. How will he fare this time in what has turned out to be one of cricket’s most tumultuous positions?

With an average of 50.52 and 19 hundreds in this format, West Indies captain Shai Hope is the only batter in the series who can be called a reliable run machine. Hope hasn’t played competitive cricket since the T20 World Cup, but does have a decent record against Sri Lanka, against whom he has hit two ODI hundreds and four fifties. Like his opposite wicketkeeper-batter-captain Mendis, Hope will be a key figure as West Indies begin their push towards the 2027 World Cup in earnest.

West Indies will need to find a spot for Shimron Hetmyer, who is back in the ODI format. Ackeem Auguste may make way at the top of the order to allow Hetmyer back in. Gudakesh Motie will also likely lead the spin attack.

West Indies (possible): John Campbell, Shai Hope (capt.)(wk) , Keacy Carty, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Matthew Forde, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales

Sri Lanka have serious decisions to make on the bowling front. In Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Eshan Malinga, they have three bowlers capable of breaching 140kph.

Sri Lanka (possible): Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka

[Cricinfo]