A Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, led by Speaker Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena visited India from 16–20 December 2023. The delegation consisted of the Minister of Environment, Hon. Keheliya Rambukwella, 9 Members of Parliament (MP) representing various political parties and officials of the Sri Lankan Parliament, including the Secretary-General. The delegation was also the first ‘Foreign Parliamentary Delegation’ from any country to visit India since the opening of the new Parliament building in New Delhi.
The visiting delegation called on Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar on 18 December 2023. They were received by Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla also on the same day and held a Bilateral Parliamentary Dialogue and Exchange. In addition, the Speaker hosted a banquet lunch in their honour. The delegation separately met External Affairs Minister (EAM), Dr. S. Jaishankar. The visiting Parliamentarians from Sri Lanka witnessed the proceedings in both Houses of the Indian Parliament and also engaged in productive discussions with several MPs, cutting across party lines, during the visit.
Speaker Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and other distinguished delegates from Sri Lanka thanked the Government of India for the unprecedented assistance of USD 4 billion extended to the people of Sri Lanka in 2022. They also sought deeper and closer collaboration with India in several spheres, including trade and tourism. Underlining civilizational linkages between the two countries, Indian leadership reiterated that they will continue to assist Sri Lanka in diverse areas such as connectivity, renewable energy and investments, among others. Both sides also called for more frequent exchanges between the Parliaments in the future.
Underscoring the strong Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka, the delegation visited Ajanta Caves, a World Heritage Site. The delegation also visited the State of Assam, where they interacted with the Speaker of Assam, Shri Biswajit Daimary and other Members of the State Legislature. Further, they saw the recently-opened Assembly premises as well.
It may be recalled that the re-establishment of the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Sri Lankan Parliament in November 2021 witnessed the participation of more than 100 MPs. EAM’s video address in August 2023 and a reception for the Parliamentarians in December 2023 also saw substantial attendance. The visit as well as the strong turnout at the above events are symbolic of the democratic values and traditions that bind the people of the two countries.
