President assures release of Indian boats in Sri Lanka’s custody

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assured that steps will be taken to release the Indian boats that are currently held under the custody of Sri Lanka.

Addressing the joint statement delivered alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this afternoon (29), he said this matter was discussed at length during the bilateral discussions between them.

“Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and I discussed several important issues this morning. The discussions were extremely cordial and reassuring,” President Rajapaksa said.

Cooperation concerning security between the two nations had been the top priority of the bilateral talks held between the two leaders, according to the President.

India has always assisted Sri Lanka to enhance our capabilities in intelligence and counterterrorism. We look forward to continuous support in this regard, Sri Lankan President said while thanking PM Modi for offering a USD 50 million line of credit to enhance the capacity of the intelligence agencies.

Referring to the Easter Sunday terror attacks which claimed the lives of over 250 persons in April, President Rajapaksa said, Sri Lanka had to rethink its national security strategies. Assistance from India in this regard would be most appreciated and PM Modi’s assurances on the matter are encouraging, the President said further.

He says Sri Lanka’s cooperation with India is multifaceted, with priority given to security-related matters.

“We will continue to work closely with India to ensure that Indian Ocean remains a zone of peace. We also discussed how Sri Lanka and India could work together in economically-important matters. As India emerges to be among world’s growing economies, I discussed with the Prime Minister how Sri Lanka could benefit out of certain economic sectors where India is strongly positioned.”

President Rajapaksa appreciated the Indian Prime Minister for his positive responses to the many of the initiatives he had proposed to enhance Sri Lanka’s economy.

He also expressed his gratitude for PM Modi for offering USD 400 million credit of line to improve Sri Lanka’s infrastructure and economy.

“Prime Minister and I also discussed how India could assist us in trade between the two countries,” President Rajapaksa continued.

He then extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka as the first head of State to arrive in Sri Lanka since his election as the President of Sri Lanka.