Thu Mar 06 06:10:47 UTC 2025: ## Modi to Visit Sri Lanka in Early April
**Colombo/New Delhi, March 6, 2025** – Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Sri Lanka during the first week of April, according to reports in Sri Lankan media. While the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has yet to officially confirm the visit, sources suggest it’s likely, potentially coinciding with Mr. Modi’s attendance at BIMSTEC meetings in Thailand.
The visit follows an invitation from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who visited India in December 2024. During Mr. Modi’s anticipated trip, he is expected to participate in bilateral meetings in Colombo and inaugurate a joint India-Sri Lanka solar power project in Sampur, Trincomalee district. This project is a collaboration between the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India.
President Dissanayake has assured India that Sri Lankan territory will not be used against India’s interests. This visit marks the first by a head of government to Sri Lanka since President Dissanayake’s rise to power late last year. Mr. Modi’s previous visits to Sri Lanka were in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
The visit comes amidst heightened interest in regional dynamics. The BIMSTEC summit in Thailand will see Mr. Modi interact with Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, amidst recent tensions in India’s relationships with both countries. While China’s recent engagement in Sri Lanka, including a visit by a Chinese official focusing on cultural and educational cooperation, has been noted, the Indian firm’s role in the Sampur power project highlights the continuing competition for influence in the region.
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