Monday Mar 31, 2025
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Friday, 28 March 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The India-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue, hosted by the Pathfinder Foundation. From left: Ananta Aspen Centre Chairman Dr. Naushad Forbes, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke, Ananta Aspen Centre Chief Executive Officer Indrani Bagchi, and Pathfinder Foundation Director Ahmed A. Jawad
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha delivered special remarks at the India-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue
Participants of the India-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue
Team members of the resource personnel of the India-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue
The India-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue, hosted by the Pathfinder Foundation in association with the Ananta Aspen Centre of India, took place in Colombo on 25 March.
Coming a week before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka on 5 April, the Dialogue serves as a valuable platform to explore key bilateral and regional matters that are expected to influence the India-Lanka discourse.
Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke delivered the opening remarks, followed by Ananta Aspen Centre Chairman Dr. Naushad Forbes. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha delivered special remarks.
Over four sessions, subject experts examined in-depth issues such as balancing great power influence in South Asia, the India-Lanka fishing dispute, securing shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, defence cooperation within the Indian Ocean framework, India’s role in infrastructure development in Sri Lanka, and the opportunities for both countries to shape best practices and technology in digital governance. The Dialogue emphasised the importance of strengthening India-Lanka economic ties, particularly in the context of Sri Lanka’s post-International Monetary Fund (IMF) recovery program.
Session 1, titled ‘India and Sri Lanka Bilateral Relations,’ was moderated by former Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha. Session 2, titled ‘Strategic Partnerships in the Indian Ocean – India-Sri Lanka Relations for Regional Stability,’ was chaired by Pathfinder Foundation Director Ahmed A. Jawad. Ananta Aspen Centre Chief Executive Officer Indrani Bagchi moderated Session 3 on ‘Navigating Investment Opportunities between India and Sri Lanka,’ while Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Chief Executive Officer Mahesh Perera chaired Session 4, which focused on ‘Digital Public Infrastructure.’
Ahmed A. Jawad and Indrani Bagchi delivered the closing remarks.
This latest interaction between Pathfinder and Ananta is the third in their series of discussions. The two sides previously held dialogues on ‘Bridging Borders: Enhancing Connectivity between India and Sri Lanka’ and’ Navigating the Maritime Maze: India and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean Region.’
The representatives of the two institutions held a wrap-up session at a breakfast hosted by Pathfinder Foundation Founder Milinda Moragoda, during which they discussed the future programs they plan to undertake.
