Sat Apr 05 11:19:26 UTC 2025: ## India and Sri Lanka Sign Landmark Defence Pact, Deepening Bilateral Ties
**Colombo, Sri Lanka –** Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake signed a significant defence cooperation pact on April 5th, 2025, marking a major step in bolstering strategic ties between the two nations. The agreement, one of seven signed during wide-ranging talks, underscores the shared security interests of India and Sri Lanka, with both leaders emphasizing their interconnectedness.
The pact comes nearly four decades after India’s peacekeeping intervention in Sri Lanka. PM Modi stated that the security of both countries is “interlinked and dependent on each other,” while President Dissanayake assured PM Modi that Sri Lanka would not allow its territory to be used against India’s security interests.
Beyond the defence agreement, India and Sri Lanka also agreed to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub and virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project, aiming to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security. A grid inter-connectivity agreement will allow Sri Lanka to export electricity.
PM Modi highlighted Sri Lanka’s importance within India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and “Vision MAHASAGAR,” emphasizing the significant progress in cooperation since President Dissanayake’s visit to India four months prior. PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo, a first for a foreign leader. The agreements signal a new era of enhanced cooperation and strategic partnership between the two nations.
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