By Sahil Pandey

Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 4 (ANI): During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka on Friday, former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed hope for stronger bilateral relations and the implementation of connectivity projects.

'I expect to have much closer relations, and that we've been talking of many connectivity projects, other projects that we can now start actually agreeing and implementing it. We have to operationalise the agreement. I hope that will be the case when Prime Minister Modi is here,' Wickremesinghe told ANI.

Discussing the current relationship between India and Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe acknowledged India's support and described the ties as close and positive.

'Present ties are good and It been close. We acknowledge the help that was given to us during the financial crisis, but it has to be closer,' he added.

Regarding trade relations, Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of completing the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ECTA) within this year.

'ECTA should be complete. My idea was that to be completed in 2025, we have to go ahead. Now, you see that we were relying on the US and others, but you can see how the US trade policies are now; the US as a market will not be that open. We don't know what will happen with the EU because we are solely dependent on it for our apparel markets. So first is that we have to complete this agreement and sign it this year. Then, thereafter, we should. We've already signed an agreement with Singapore and with Thailand,' he said.

'We have to operationalize them and then enter into other agreements, especially with the RCEP. We have to have a new trading policy. While we don't abandon what we have, we go into the new area. But that also requires new products. Apparel loan may not be enough,' he explained.

Wickremesinghe also highlighted energy trading, IT, and the dairy industry as potential sectors for collaboration between India and Sri Lanka.

'One area is that of energy trading, which should help Sri Lanka. Then, there are goods that can be manufactured. Additionally, we're identifying goods that can be manufactured locally, with a focus on establishing robust supply chains. We're making progress in manufacturing certain components, and I'm excited to see this initiative move forward. IT has also been a significant area of focus, and now we're turning our attention to the dairy industry,' he noted.

PM Modi will travel to Sri Lanka on a State Visit from April 4 - 6, at the invitation of the President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Disanayaka. (ANI)