Indian Minister of Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees on 2nd of November 2023. The Prime Minister thanked India for the allocation of Indian Rs 824 million under the Memorandum of Understanding signed during the visit of the Finance Minister for solar electrification of religious places out of the Indian grant assistance of Indian Rs 1.0747 billion earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties.
Indian Finance Minister said India highly appreciates Prime Minister Gunawardena’s unstinted efforts to promote Indo-Lanka friendship and cooperation. “Decades ago when we fighting for our independence, your parents associated in Indian freedom struggle and now as Prime Minister you are continue to work towards further strengthening bilateral friendship and cooperation between our two countries and we have very high regards for you,” she said.
Indian High Commissioner Gopal Bagley, MP Yadamini Gunawardena and Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake and senior officials of the two countries were also present on this occasion.
Prime Minister’s Media