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The newly installed BJP-led coalition government in India is swiftly back to business in its foreign policy outreach, especially in the neighbourhood, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Colombo on June 20 and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi the day after.
Mr. Jaishankar’s second term in the post began with a hectic day-long visit to Colombo last week, packed with a series of meetings with the Sri Lankan leadership, and politicians from the ruling and opposition camp. The readouts from both New Delhi and Colombo indicated that the focus of his first bilateral visit after assuming charge was finding ways to expedite India’s many projects — in areas spanning energy, connectivity, housing — in Sri Lanka that are progressing at an apparently slow pace.
“Significant attention was given to plans for an LNG supply, a proposed petroleum pipeline linking the two countries, and advancing oil and gas exploration projects. Additionally, it was announced that construction of the Sampur Solar Power Plant is set to commence in July 2024,” President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said.
The EAM made no official public statement, other than updates on social media platform ‘X’. The statements from either side made no reference to any political exchange — not even on the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution, that Mr. Jaishankar has explicitly highlighted during earlier visits. In January 2023, Mr. Jaishankar said he had shared with the Sri Lankan leadership India’s “considered view that the full implementation of the 13th amendment and early conduct of provincial elections are critical”, and that “durable efforts towards reconciliation are in the interests of all sections in Sri Lanka.” However, sources privy to some of the meetings Mr. Jaishankar had with various political leaders said the Sri Lankan elections due this year were discussed.
We also followed PM Hasina’s visit on June 21 and 22, 2024 closely. India and Bangladesh have agreed to begin talks on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) paving the way for broader economic ties between the two neighbouring economies, Kallol Bhattacherjee reported. A similar pact with Sri Lanka has been discussed for well over a decade with no sign of an understanding yet. India and Bangladesh also signed multiple MoUs covering maritime cooperation and economy, rail connectivity, oceanography, health and disaster management among others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a technical team from India will soon visit Bangladesh to discuss “conservation and management of the Teesta river”, and that India would start issuing e-medical visas to address the surging demand for medical visas from Bangladesh. India’s growing list of projects in the neighbouhood, in the context of its preoccupation with countering China in the region, signals that New Delhi is likely to continue its push for economic and development cooperation to serve its strategic goals.
Top stories and key issues we are following this week:
- Nikhil Gupta, the businessman accused in the U.S. for an assassination plot against Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has not asked for consular help, according to the Ministry of External Affairs – while Canadian Parliament held a moment of silence for Nijjar killing anniversary even as India said it will mourn Kanishka victims – Suhasini Haidar writes on the sensitive diplomatic issues. Also watch her latest on Worldview on the Nijjar killing – Pannun case: How should India manage diplomatic fallout?
- Where does India stand with respect to the G-7? Suhasini Haidar explains.
- The reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama will have major geopolitical implications and China will not have any role to play either in the process of reincarnation, search, and training of the next Dalai Lama, the former Sikyong (political leader) of the Central Tibetan Administration Dr. Lobsang Sangay has said.. Meanwhile US lawmakers have said China must hold talks with the Dalai Lama.
- In a pitch to U.K.’s Muslim voters, Tory candidate cites government’s actions in Kashmir – Sriram Lakshman reports
- A progressive Indian policy on Myanmar outlined – Angshuman Choudhury writes on New Delhi’s stance of defining its ‘interests’ in the Southeast Asian country in narrow strategic terms needs to change
