India's Modi agrees to step up defense cooperation with Sri Lanka

Leader visits neighboring nation, two sides sign seven memorandums of understanding

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake listen to the national anthems of their countries at a ceremony in Colombo on April 5. © Reuters

KIRAN SHARMA

April 5, 2025 20:59 JST

COLOMBO -- India and Sri Lanka on Saturday agreed to beef up cooperation on defense, energy and other sectors during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the island nation, where New Delhi and Beijing compete for influence.

India has stood by the people of Sri Lanka in "every tough situation," including a 2019 militant attack, the COVID-19 pandemic and its recent economic crisis, Modi said in a joint media briefing with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after a meeting between the two leaders.