Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met visiting Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan during his two-day bilateral visit to Sri Lanka, with talks focused on expanding trade and deepening economic cooperation.
In a post on ‘X’ following the meeting, Premadasa said the discussions had been constructive and had identified “practical opportunities to benefit both nations.” He described Sri Lanka and India as “true partners” bound by a shared history, common challenges and a shared future.
The SJB leader called for greater ambition, trust and cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations, arguing that citizens in both countries stood to gain from a more ambitious engagement. He did not disclose specific trade proposals raised at the meeting.
The Sajith-Radhakrishnan encounter is a separate track from the official bilateral meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Sunday. Those government-level talks covered the Trincomalee oil hub, the India-Sri Lanka oil pipeline, the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), digital identity cooperation and reconstruction after Cyclone Ditwah.
The visit has drawn cross-party engagement. Radhakrishnan also travelled to Nuwara Eliya to meet Tamil political leaders and handed over 145 houses under the Indian Housing Project. He returns to New Delhi on Monday.
The bipartisan outreach underscores New Delhi’s strategy of institutionalising the Sri Lanka relationship beyond any single government, as both sides navigate the fallout from the Middle East energy crisis.
