Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said his successor Anura Kumara Dissanayake should fully implement the “vision document” adopted with India last year.

President Dissanayake, elected to the top office in September this year, is scheduled to visit India in mid-December.

During his India trip in July 2023, then-President Wickremesinghe had signed a vision document with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlining areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially economic partnership.

“In the vision document signed by me and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, we have set out the areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. I am of the opinion he (Dissanayake) should move forward and we should implement this vision document in its entirety,” he told PTI.

Wickremesinghe, who attended an event at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar school in Indore, was replying when asked what should be the areas of mutual cooperation when Dissanayake visits New Delhi next month and meets PM Modi and other Indian leaders.

The vision document adopted during Wickremesinghe’s tour emphasised on strengthening maritime, air, energy ties and people-to-people connectivity between India and Sri Lanka. It also envisaged accelerating mutual cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education and skill development.

Earlier, Wickremesinghe inaugurated a sports complex at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar and later addressed the audience on the topic “Common Heritage: India and the Indian Ocean”.

Referring to India’s assistance during Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis, he said his country has benefited from this legacy during the most difficult period in its history.

Wickremesinghe, who has also served as prime minister of the island nation, thanked PM Modi and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the financial assistance.

Citing different examples at the school gathering, Wickremesinghe maintained India and Sri Lanka have had religious, trade, linguistic and cultural relations since ancient times.

Following a joint programme initiated by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Department of Examinations, four candidates who were unable to reach their examination centres due to floods in Matara, were transported to their respective centres with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Navy, Examination Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Monday it has approved a USD-200-million loan to modernise Sri Lanka's power sector infrastructure, improving network reliability and supporting renewables integration.

Speaker Ashoka Ranwala said investigations will be held into the condcut of Jaffna District Independent MP Archuuna Ramanathan in Parliament last week to ascertain whether he had resorted to any indisciplined or unethical behaviour.

A Sri Lankan fishing trawler, was seized by the Maldivian Coast Guard after it was found carrying over 450 kilograms of illicit drugs. The haul included 344 kg of crystal methamphetamine (ICE) and 124 kg of cocaine.

The Irrigation Department has issued a prior flood warning in several areas from November 25 to November 28, 2024 due to the current low-pressure situation in the Bay of Bengal and its possible further developments within the next few days.

Only the invigilators will be allowed to use mobile phones in the examination centers during the 2024 GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examinations which is scheduled to begin on Monday (25).

The Local Government elections will be held at the beginning of next year, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

Former Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya’s residence in Ambalangoda was robbed, and items valued at approximately Rs. 300,000 stolen, police said. Deshapriya’s wife lodged a complaint with the Ambalangoda Police regarding the incident.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff level agreement with Sri Lankan authorities, paving the way for the next tranche, for US$ 333 million, of the four-year Extended Fund Facility.

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) mandated the implementation of mosquito control programmes at all examination centres for the 2024 GCE Advanced Level examination. Accordingly, candidates have been instructed to bring mosquito repellent to the exam centres.