Sri Lanka’s Sajith Premadasa Urges Fresh Approach To India Ties Amid National Challenges

Facing what he described as “enormous challenges”, Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday called for a forward-looking approach to ties with India, stressing that the relationship should move beyond “parochial thinking”.

Speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi, Premadasa said Sri Lanka remained committed to safeguarding India’s national security interests and underscored the importance of viewing the bilateral relationship as mutually beneficial. “It is our sincere belief that the Sri Lanka-India relationship should be seen as an opportunity and not as a threat,” he said, according to PTI.

Premadasa also described India as a “superpower that should have its rightful place in the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member”, PTI reported. He urged both countries to “think anew and think afar” in order to strengthen cooperation amid regional and global shifts.

The opposition leader noted that Sri Lanka must engage with India constructively at a time when the island nation is dealing with multiple internal and external challenges, reiterating Colombo’s intention to deepen its partnership with New Delhi on the basis of trust and mutual respect.

(With inputs from PTI)