Modi's Sri Lanka visit sees major Solar Energy pact

Work has officially begun on the construction of a 120-megawatt power plant in the Trincomalee area. India and Sri Lanka have also announced the creation of the Colombo Security Conclave, a security cooperation forum that also includes Bangladesh, the Maldives and Mauritius.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – A large 120-megawatt solar power plant to consolidate the friendly relations between India and Sri Lanka, in open competition with China's presence. The official inauguration of the construction of the power plant that will be built in Sampur, in the Trincomalee area, was the most important result of the visit that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made to Colombo from 4 to 6 April.

The plant – which will be built through a joint venture between energy companies from the two nations – is proposed as an important step for the economic development of the country, brought to its knees in recent years by the debt crisis.

Faced with the impossibility of purchasing oil and coal for its electricity production plants in 2022, Colombo has set itself ambitious goals to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. And the solar park that will be built in the Eastern Province is a key project in this sense.

The visit that Modi made recently was his fourth to Sri Lanka and was aimed at further strengthening the ties and cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, seven memoranda of understanding were signed with President Anura Kumara Disanayake regarding the strategic sectors of energy, digitalisation, defence, healthcare and development assistance.

Modi announced that the parties had agreed to work together on security cooperation in the Indian Ocean through a regional grouping called the Colombo Security Conclave, which also includes Bangladesh, the Maldives and Mauritius.

When the Prime Minister of New Delhi presented Dissanayake with the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana Award, he called it a great honour not only for him but for all the people of India. He also said he was sure that, given the courage and resilience of its people, Sri Lanka would recover and rise stronger than before.

In addition to the importance of the seven signed memoranda, on Saturday Prime Minister Modi held talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during which they virtually launched the construction of a 120-megawatt solar power plant financed by India, which will be built as a joint venture between the two nations.