Sri Lankan Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa recently highlighted India’s crucial role in helping her country achieve prosperity and well-being. Speaking at a special dinner in Colombo, she shared exciting details from her recent trip to New Delhi with a 24-member delegation from the Sri Lanka-India Parliamentary Friendship Association (SLIPFA), which she leads as president.
The event, hosted by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, brought together Sri Lankan deputy ministers and MPs from various parties. Jayatissa pointed out the deep, centuries-old bonds between India and Sri Lanka, calling them a foundation for stronger ties.
During their New Delhi visit last month, the group met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). Birla praised Sri Lanka’s key place in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR vision, which focuses on mutual growth and security in the region. He urged more such bilateral exchanges between the two nations to build on their friendship.
Birla also spotlighted recent high-level visits as big wins for India-Sri Lanka relations. He mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Sri Lanka in April 2025 and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India in December 2024 as major milestones. Plus, he welcomed the launch of the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, seeing it as proof of their solid partnership.
The Speaker stressed the importance of ongoing talks and cooperation between the parliaments of India and Sri Lanka. “Sharing democratic experiences and practices will strengthen our values,” he said. He also celebrated their shared ancient heritage, from cultural links to people-to-people connections, which form the backbone of bilateral relations.
Birla highlighted opportunities in Ramayana and Buddhist tourism circuits, along with cultural exchanges, as ways to deepen these ties. On his side, Jayatissa thanked India for stepping up first during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. He lauded India’s efforts in promoting peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region, and called its support in health and education a real lifeline for Sri Lanka.
These interactions show how India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations are growing stronger, promising more collaboration ahead.
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