Commenting on the Indo–Sri Lanka land bridge, proposed to be erected making a land connection between the two countries, Indian President Dr. Abdul Kalam said that it is an important and essential mission where both countries are concerned.

Recalling past memories of trip he made in passenger ships to Sri Lanka in order to visit his relatives, the president stated that this bridge would further expand and reinforce Indo-Sri Lanka ties.

Meeting between the Indian President and the Sri Lankan Prime Minister took place on March 1 in the Rashtrapathy Bhavan in New Delhi.

Dr. Kalam pointed out that there is a scarcity of primary teachers prevailing all over India. Studies are carried out find out whether teachers and students could be linked via Information Technology, as a measure of overcoming this problem. Indian President was interested in obtaining information on the Sri Lankan education system, quality of teaching and obvious flaws in the education system.

In response to an inquiry made by the Indian President as to the improvements in the peace process, detailed explanation was provided by Minister Milinda Moragoda on the current situation and achievements made so far in that regard.

 While classifying achieving peace as an onerous task, the President said that it could be accomplished only with unlimited patience and unwavering commitment. He commended the extreme patience displayed by the Sri Lankan Government as it treads the arduous path towards peace.

Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology – Milinda Moragoda, Secretary to the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon, Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India, Mangala Munasinghe and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Saman Athaudahetti also took part at the Discussions.

Economic co-operation agreement

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to enter into bilateral economic co-operation agreement in order to expand and strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

Official talks between the two leaders were held on March 1 in Panchavathi Bhavan, Race Course Road, New Delhi.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickemesinghe expressed his gratitude to the Government of India for the support extended so far by India for the arduous journey Sri Lanka is making towards achieving lasting peace through a political solution. Vajpayee pledged his support for the peace efforts of the Sri Lankan Government.

The Indo-Lanka land bridge proposed to be erected between Rameshwaran and Talaimannar has also been discussed. It was revealed at this point that negotiations with the Asian Development Bank regarding the construction of the bridge have already commenced.

Two leaders agreed on the necessity of expanding air travel between India and Sri Lanka. As tourist influx has increased in the recent past, it was said that the number of flights and the number of seats need to be increased to meet their requirements.

Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology Milinda Moragoda, Secretary to the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon and Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India Mangala Munasinghe were also present at the meeting.


e – Sri Lanka programme

In order to expand the use of Information Technology extensively in Sri Lanka and to utilize it systematically and gainfully in development of sectors such as the economy, education and social activities, Sri Lanka has sought cooperation of the Government of India. An agreement relating to this was signed on March 1 between the two Governments.

The agreement was signed by the Indian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Arun Showri on behalf of the Indian Government and Milinda Moragoda, Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

Expressing his views and visions on the agreement, Minister Moragoda said that it would greatly facilitate implementing strategies designed under the e-Sri Lanka Program.

He further said as India and Sri Lanka has similar cultural and social backgrounds; strategies and procedures India has formulated to popularize the use of Information Technology in rural areas are suitable to be used to achieve the same objective in Sri Lankan.

A number of areas including taking computers to the village, using Information Technology as an educational tool and especially, assistance that could be derived from the Information Technology to make a success of the peace process, are covered in the agreement.