Vice President of India visits Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral ties
The Vice President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan undertook an official visit to Sri Lanka from 19 to 20 April 2026. The visit took place in the backdrop of intensified high-level engagement between the two countries, including the visit of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka to India in December 2024, the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka in April 2025, the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to India in October 2025, and most recently, President Disanayaka’s participation in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February 2026.
During the visit, Vice President Radhakrishnan called on President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and had discussions on development cooperation, economic cooperation, political relations, energy collaboration and finding a sustainable solution to the fisheries issue. President Disanayaka appreciated the timely assistance extended by India for Sri Lanka’s relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts following Cyclone Ditwah.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya hosted a luncheon meeting in honour of the visiting Indian Vice President during which they took stock of the progress made in advancing the partnership between the two countries.
The Indian Vice President also participated in several events in Colombo where he interacted with political and community leaders and the Indian diaspora and visited the Gangaramaya Temple and the Kathiresan Kovil in Colombo. In Nuwara Eliya, Vice President Radhakrishnan met the recipients of houses constructed with Indian assistance and visited the Seetha Amman Temple.
A number of Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation between the two countries were concluded during the visit, including on the implementation of a post-Ditwah reconstruction package. Sri Lanka also officially acceded to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.
Vice President Radhakrishnan was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Members of Parliament Dr. K. Laxman and Dr. Medha Vishram Kulkarni and several senior officials.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Hearth, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage and senior officials were associated with the meetings from the Sri Lanka side.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
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