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Monday, 27 March 2017 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu
India, which sees itself as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region, and Sri Lanka “can do a lot together”, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu says.
Delivering a speech at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies on India’s Global Outlook on Saturday, the High Commissioner said there was a huge window of opportunity for India-Sri Lanka ties.
“We will soon be launching a SAARC communications and meteorology satellite, which also has Sri Lankan partnership. There is a lot that we can do together,” High Commissioner Sandhu said.
Elaborating on India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, the High Commissioner said it is a reflection of the importance India attaches to its nearest partners.
“We see our future as intertwined. The scale and speed of economic transformation in India is an opportunity that we do not want our friends, especially our neighbours, to miss. India’s growth is not in the interest of India alone. We want you to be part of our growth story,” the envoy emphasised.
He said India was keen to integrate the Sri Lankan economy in the global supply and value chain and ready to share its skill set with Sri Lanka.
“We are interested in making investments in energy, hard infrastructure and connectivity projects. We have a robust development partnership.”
The High Commissioner said India was ready to sail with Sri Lanka in its journey towards a more secure, prosperous and fulfilling future.
“All we need to do is to think and act, and act now. As Gautama Buddha once said, ‘We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world,” he said.
