11 October 2023 08:08 pm
Three new bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation between India and Sri Lanka were signed during the meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and President Ranil Wickremesinghe today.
The inauguration of the third phase of the housing project, supported by Indian loan assistance, was conducted during the meeting, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
These projects include the modernization of 27 schools in the Northern Province, housing initiatives in Mannar and Anuradhapura, improvements to the Hatton Thondaman Vocational Training Centre and Pussellawa Saraswati Central College, the construction of a multi-ethnic trilingual school in Polonnaruwa, the establishment of 2,889 rainwater harvesting projects in the Jaffna area, the promotion of vegetable cultivation in the Dambulla area and the construction of greenhouse facilities with a capacity of 5,000 metric tons for fruit preservation.
Additionally, a new surgical unit for the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital will be promptly built as part of these efforts.
An agreement concerning a joint project involving the Indian National Dairy Development Board, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation of India (Amul), and the Cargills Group of Sri Lanka was signed with the aim of elevating Sri Lanka's local dairy industry. This agreement emerged as a result of President Ranil Wickremesinghe's official visit to India and allocation of funding for the modernization of Sri Lanka's livestock sector.
The primary objective of this new project is to increase milk production by 53% within the first five years and achieve self-sufficiency in milk production for Sri Lanka within 15 years. As part of this endeavour, it is anticipated that approximately 200,000 local farmers will be empowered through the provision of facilities such as high-quality medicines, animal nutrition and technical support.
Furthermore, this initiative encompasses digitalization of the livestock sector, investments in new technologies to enhance the quality of milk-related by-products and ensuring access to milk-related products at affordable prices.
In addition to this significant agreement, a special commemorative logo was unveiled today to celebrate the 75 years of Indo-Sri Lankan relations.