The Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had attended the BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in Goa, India on 16 October 2016. The initiative, first of its kind to link South Asia to South East Asia, had been held to pave the way for BRICS and BIMSTEC leaders to explore prospects for closer partnership and coordination, synergising the potential of nearly two-thirds of humanity.
During the bilateral discussions with the Indian Prime Minister held on the side-lines of the BRICS summit, the Sri Lankan President had stated that peace in the region is imperative for economic prosperity. Sri Lanka stands firm against all forms and manifestations of terror to ensure the regional progress which has an immense impact on the global economic growth. He had also drawn the Indian leader’s attention to the long existing fishing issue and the Indian Premier had agreed the need for a proper solution to the problem in order to prevent the straining of bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations. President Sirisena had taken the opportunity to thank Premier Modi for the assistance extended for the rehabilitation programmes implemented in the war-ravaged northern Sri Lanka. He had also expressed gratitude for India’s gift of ambulances to be used in the western and southern provinces of the island-nation and expressed hopes that its closest neighbour would assist in extending this service to other areas of the country as well.
In a twitter message, Modi had noted his elation at having the Sri Lankan President for the BRICS-BIMSTEC summit as one of most valued friends of India. President Sirisena in response had tweetered back welcoming the opportunity offered to discuss ways to deepen SL-India relations and explore how Sri Lanka can play a stronger role in the region.
India, amidst growing tensions with Pakistan following a terror attack on one of its army bases on the boarder of disputed Jammu-Kashmir, has made use of the BRICS summit to invite the leaders of the neighbouring countries belonging to BIMSTEC for an outreach pow-wow in a show of solidarity. India hosted the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - this year for their 08th summit. Sri Lanka is a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) launched in 1997 along with Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Thailand. The BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit had allowed India to skirt its way around the SAARC (South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation), whose Islamabad hosted summit it boycotted citing cross-border terrorism incited by neighbouring arch-rival Pakistan. The 08-member grouping SAARC includes Pakistan, Afghanistan and Maldives as well as Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma had joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 08th BRICS summit held under the theme “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions”. The five BRICS leaders had focussed their attention on combatting terrorism, their contribution to global economic growth, cooperation with emerging and developing economies, issues of climate change and nurturing people-to-people contact.
During the bilateral discussions with the Indian Prime Minister held on the side-lines of the BRICS summit, the Sri Lankan President had stated that peace in the region is imperative for economic prosperity. Sri Lanka stands firm against all forms and manifestations of terror to ensure the regional progress which has an immense impact on the global economic growth. He had also drawn the Indian leader’s attention to the long existing fishing issue and the Indian Premier had agreed the need for a proper solution to the problem in order to prevent the straining of bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations. President Sirisena had taken the opportunity to thank Premier Modi for the assistance extended for the rehabilitation programmes implemented in the war-ravaged northern Sri Lanka. He had also expressed gratitude for India’s gift of ambulances to be used in the western and southern provinces of the island-nation and expressed hopes that its closest neighbour would assist in extending this service to other areas of the country as well.
In a twitter message, Modi had noted his elation at having the Sri Lankan President for the BRICS-BIMSTEC summit as one of most valued friends of India. President Sirisena in response had tweetered back welcoming the opportunity offered to discuss ways to deepen SL-India relations and explore how Sri Lanka can play a stronger role in the region.
India, amidst growing tensions with Pakistan following a terror attack on one of its army bases on the boarder of disputed Jammu-Kashmir, has made use of the BRICS summit to invite the leaders of the neighbouring countries belonging to BIMSTEC for an outreach pow-wow in a show of solidarity. India hosted the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - this year for their 08th summit. Sri Lanka is a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) launched in 1997 along with Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Thailand. The BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit had allowed India to skirt its way around the SAARC (South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation), whose Islamabad hosted summit it boycotted citing cross-border terrorism incited by neighbouring arch-rival Pakistan. The 08-member grouping SAARC includes Pakistan, Afghanistan and Maldives as well as Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma had joined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 08th BRICS summit held under the theme “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions”. The five BRICS leaders had focussed their attention on combatting terrorism, their contribution to global economic growth, cooperation with emerging and developing economies, issues of climate change and nurturing people-to-people contact.
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