Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Friday said “tourism flow from India has been a consistent contributor to the economic and forex inflows into Sri Lanka.”
“India is currently the largest source of inbound tourism into Sri Lanka. In this context, the Sri Lankan president has articulated his future plans for attracting a larger number of Indian tourists including through promotion of the Ramayana trail as well as Buddhist Hindu circuits and other places of religious worship in Sri Lanka,” the Foreign Secretary said during a Special Briefing on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe‘s India visit.
Kwatra said a key outcome of the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe “related to digital connectivity and the fintech connectivity is an agreement reached between NPCI International and Lanka pay on UPI based digital payments. This has multiple segments that it will feed into.”
The Foreign Secretary further said: “Tourism is only one part of it but it would essentially ease up the payment flow mechanisms between the two countries.”
He said: “Digitalization and digital public infrastructure and the rolethese two things can play in the development partnership between the two countries was also animportant element of discussion between the two leaders.”
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday arrived in Delhi on a two-day official visit to India. Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan welcomed Wickremesinghe at the airport.
PM Modi on Friday met the Sri Lankan President, the two discussed issues of mutual interest.
According to a 2018 IATA study, Sri Lanka’s aviation sector supported 700,000 jobs and contributed USD 8 billion to the GDP. By 2038, these numbers have the potential to grow to over one million jobs and USD 30 billion in GDP. IATA has emphasised the need for government support and industry collaboration to develop the blueprint.
“PM @narendramodi warmly welcomes President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka at the Hyderabad House ahead of the bilateral talks. An opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing – ties, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. The talks were held in the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
To boost the economic partnership between the two nations, India and Sri Lanka adopted a vision document that would strengthen people-to-people connectivity and Maritime cooperation, trade, and power, PM Modi announced on Friday.
“Today, we have adopted a vision document for our economic partnership. The vision is to strengthen maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity between the two peoples. The vision is to accelerate mutual cooperation in tourism, electricity, business, higher education, and skill development,” PM Modi said.
In a joint press statement along with Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi on Friday, PM Modi also said that the two nations have decided to start a ferry service from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka.
