On 9 September 2026, Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, praised India’s support during times of crisis and described the bilateral relationship as “very special.” The comments were made after Premadasa met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and were reported by the Associated Press of India (ANI).
Premadasa said the meeting with Singh was “very constructive” and “very progressive,” and highlighted India’s role as a “first responder” during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, the COVID‑19 pandemic and Cyclone Ditwah. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had consistently backed Sri Lanka through these challenges.
He noted that cooperation between the two countries had expanded across development assistance, economic and commercial engagement, business, government‑to‑government cooperation and people‑to‑people ties. Premadasa stated that Sri Lanka seeks to deepen ties with India while respecting each country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.
On trade, Premadasa said Sri Lanka would like India to become its largest export destination and called for balanced free trade based on mutual interests. He also acknowledged India’s scale and experience, saying Sri Lanka has much to learn from the country’s development journey.
Premadasa’s remarks were made in Colombo and were reported by ANI on 9 September 2026.
Article and image source: srilankasource.com
