A Civic Reception was hosted by India Foundation in honour of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Her Excellency Harini Amarasuriya on 18th October 2025 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. The reception was addressed by Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Former President of India; Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India; Dr Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation and Shri Jayant Sinha, Former Minister of State and Member, Governing Council, India Foundation.
The event began with the welcome address by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Hon’ble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, who expressed his profound gratitude to Her Excellency Harini Amarasuriya for attending the event and gracing it with her presence. He also spoke about his long relationship with Sri Lanka and he mentioned the very strong historical and cultural ties that have been characterising the India–Sri Lanka dialogue. While referring to India’s development trajectory, Shri Puri pointed out that India’s governance model has shifted from women-centred development to women-led development, during the course of the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his pioneering programmes like Swachh Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and women’s reservation in legislatures. He also highlighted the areas of working jointly, like energy connectivity, renewable projects, and the setting up of the Trincomalee oil terminal, and thus emphasised India’s role in the development of Sri Lanka and in the country’s energy security. Furthermore, he also highlighted the growing collaboration between India and Sri Lanka in the fields of trade, infrastructure, maritime security, and regional connectivity, and reiterated India’s determination to cooperate with Sri Lanka for peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.
Former President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, spoke about the moral and spiritual underpinnings of the India–Sri Lanka relationship. He recalled that Emperor Ashoka’s emissaries crossed oceans carrying messages of compassion and wisdom, and that the teachings of the Buddha continue to connect the nations in friendship and mutual respect. At the same time, he pointed out that India has always stood, and will continue to stand, with Sri Lanka in its times of need, including during its recent economic crisis. India’s actions have been guided, and are being guided, by the principle of neighbourhood first. He emphasised the need for cooperation on trade, health, the energy transition, and digital connectivity, and that together, these will set the foundation for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indian Ocean region. He highlighted the role of the Tamil community as a living bridge between the two nations, and expressed his hope that reconciliation and inclusive development together will continue to create peace and harmony in Sri Lanka.
In her remarks, Her Excellency Harini Amarasuriya, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, spoke of India’s advancement as being truly representative of resilience and change for the region, and that Sri Lanka truly appreciates India’s vision of Viksit Bharat as a sense of motivation for inclusive and sustainable growth across South Asia. She pointed out that there is tremendous potential for economic and developmental collaboration between India and Sri Lanka in trade, renewable energy, technology, and culture. She further highlighted that the relationship between India and Sri Lanka is not just diplomatic, but is driven by shared history, spiritual heritage, and people-to-people exchanges. The Prime Minister recognised and acknowledged India’s timely and consistent support during Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, and looked forward to building a stronger partnership into the future, continuing to find common ground that parallels shared aspirations of prosperity and regional advancement.
Shri Jayant Sinha thanked and welcomed Her Excellency Amarasuriya on behalf of India Foundation. He indicated that the partnership between India–Sri Lanka serves as an example of a long-standing relationship characterised by deep understanding.
The event closed with concluding remarks by Dr. Ram Madhav who mentioned the profound civilisational and spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka and felt hopeful the two nations would continue to embrace a spirit of harmony, growth and prosperity together as a region.
