Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today met a 24-member high level delegation of the Sri Lanka–India Parliamentary Friendship Association at the Parliament House complex. The delegation was led by Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Communication of Sri Lanka and President of the Sri Lanka–India Parliamentary Friendship Association.

Welcoming the delegation, Speaker Shri Om Birla said: “India and Sri Lanka share deep historical, cultural and civilisational ties. Today, these bonds have evolved into a strong, multi-dimensional partnership. Sri Lanka holds a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘Vision SAGAR’.”

Referring to recent high-level exchanges, Shri Birla described Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025 and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India in December 2024 as milestones in bilateral relations.

Speaker Birla welcomed the establishment of the India–Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Sri Lankan Parliament, calling it a testament to the strength of bilateral ties. He emphasized the need for institutional cooperation and regular dialogue between the parliaments of both countries to share democratic practices and the experiences of elected representatives. Such exchanges, he said, will further reinforce democratic values.

Shri Birla underlined that the shared heritage of India and Sri Lanka goes back thousands of years, with deep-rooted cultural and people-to-people connections forming key pillars of bilateral relations. He stressed that the development of the Ramayana and Buddhist tourism circuits, along with cultural exchanges and growing people-to-people contact, provide a strong foundation for these relations.

He noted that the use of AI technology and digital innovations in the Indian Parliament has enhanced transparency, efficiency and ease of functioning, promoting paperless proceedings. Shri Birla also shared PRIDE’s role in conducting capacity-building programmes for legislators from over 110 countries and expressed India’s readiness to share these innovations with other nations.

On his part, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa thanked India for being the first responder during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. He also praised India’s role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region, while describing India’s cooperation in health and education as a lifeline for Sri Lanka.

At present, India–Sri Lanka cooperation is increasingly focused on investment-led development, grant assistance, trade, tourism, education, and cultural exchanges. Both nations have also signed several agreements in areas such as defence, energy, health, communications, and religious tourism.

The Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation is on a visit to India from 26–30 August 2025. It comprises 20 Members of Parliament and 4 parliamentary staff.

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