The External Affairs Minister of India, Honourbale Yashwant Sinha, paid an official visit to Sri Lanka from October, 14-15, 2003 to co-chair the 5th Session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission held in Colombo. He was accompanied by a high level delegation from the Ministries of External Affairs, Commerce, Finance, Shipping, Home Affairs, Culture, Agriculture and Ocean Development.

The Joint Commission reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in the areas of Trade, Finance and Investment, Social, Cultural and Educational matters and Science and Technology. Other areas of current active bilateral cooperation including agriculture, power, energy, transport, information technology, environment, health, industrial development, tourism and ocean development were also discussed.

Discussions were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere reflecting the excellent state of bilateral relations. Both sides appreciated the work of the Joint Study Group to prepare the framework of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to be submitted to the two Prime Ministers when they meet in Delhi later in October. The implementation of the CEPA would take the two countries to a qualitatively new level of engagement by intensifying and deepening bilateral economic interaction. The importance of the Joint Commission mechanism and the need for regular meetings to review and expedite joint projects and cooperation was reiterated by the two sides.

The two Foreign Ministers signed the Agreed Minutes at the conclusions of the Joint Commission meeting. An Agreement to release the second tranch of US$ 30 million from the Indian Line of Credit of US$ 100 million and a Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 2003-2006 were also signed.

The Minister of External Affairs presented a cheque for Sri Lankan Rs.10 million as relief and rehabilitation assistance for southern Sri Lanka to Honourable Karu Jayasuriya in his capacity as Minister In-charge for Disaster Relief. Later in the day, a cheque for Sri Lankan Rs.10 million was presented to the President, Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, towards the President’s Disaster Management Fund for meeting the immediate housing reconstruction needs in the South. The External Affairs Minister also gifted a CT Scanner to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and a bus to the Jaffna University. The Sri Lankan side noted with appreciation the Government of India’s offer to set up a well-equipped hospital in the upcountry region and its programme aimed at the eradication of cataract amongst the estate workers in the region. It also welcomed the offer by the Government of India to contribute US$ 7.5 million for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Cancer Centre in Colombo.

An exhibition on Buddhist sites and art heritage, comprising of over 80 photographs by renowned Indian photographer, Binoy Behi, was inaugurated by the Minister of External Affairs and the Minister of Human Resource Development, Education and Cultural Affairs at the National Art Gallery in Colombo.

The External Affairs Minister called on the President, Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and the Prime Minister, Honourable Ranil Wickremesinghe during which the two sides discussed multilateral and bilateral matters of mutual interest. Issues relating to the ongoing peace process, the security situation and prospects for still closer economic cooperation were discussed in an atmosphere of cordiality and trust that characterizes the political dialogue and the larger Indo-Sri Lanka relationship.