In an exclusive interview your Sachin Parasharpresident of sri lanka Anura Kumar Dissanayake Talking about the importance of the AI Impact Summit, he supported India’s legitimate security interests in the Indian Ocean and expressed Sri Lanka’s hope to resume ETCA negotiations in a progressive and transparent manner. you are visiting india Prime Minister Narendra ModiAI Summit invitation letter. You have spoken in the past about the disparity between countries in AI and the inability of some countries to leverage AI for development due to insufficient infrastructure. What are your expectations for this summit and its outcome documents? We congratulate India for hosting this important AI Impact Summit for countries in the Global South. The summit is not only important for technology, but also for partnerships. Sri Lanka sees this as an opportunity for India and Sri Lanka, and the wider South, to work together to shape AI governance. Artificial intelligence will define competitiveness, public service delivery and economic transformation. For a developing country like ours, access to infrastructure, research networks, and human capital development are crucial. This is the importance of cooperation.For Sri Lanka, the theme of this summit must be the democratization of AI infrastructure and the translation of global principles into practical partnerships in the global South. Sri Lanka has laid the foundation for AI-driven development, including the National Digital Public Infrastructure Framework, AI Governance Structure, Departmental AI Councils and AI Champions Program to build institutional capacity. We are also advancing initiatives to expand our sovereign data centers and AI computing capabilities, including partnering with hyperscale cloud providers and developing infrastructure to support AI-ready workloads. But it remains critical for countries like ours to have access to the global computing ecosystem, research networks, and advanced talent development. Initiatives like the Global AI Impact Share and the Trusted AI Share are important because they can help democratize AI resources and ensure that innovation is not limited to a few developed economies. The real impact of the summit will be in translating principles into practical partnerships and Sri Lanka stands ready to work with India. We are already building such pragmatic partnerships, for example, IIT Madras is hosting 25 Sri Lankan technology startups for six-week internships.What do you think about India’s focus on inclusive and human-centered AI and the fact that the AI Summit is being held for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere? what is sri lanka What’s your stance on artificial intelligence regulation?India’s human-centric approach to AI is closely aligned with Sri Lanka’s own reform and development priorities. Sri Lanka supports a balanced and risk-based regulatory framework that protects citizens while encouraging innovation. Sri Lanka has enacted strong data protection legislation, strengthened its cybersecurity framework, and is establishing a structured AI governance structure to guide responsible adoption. Regional cooperation between Sri Lanka and India can promote interoperability, ethical safeguards and shared learning rather than fragmented standards. AI governance should foster growth, strengthen institutions, and expand opportunity. This is best achieved through partnerships. We see India as a natural collaborator in building a trusted and inclusive AI ecosystem.Looking back, how has your vision for India-Sri Lanka relations evolved over the past 18 months, given your party’s historical suspicion of India and the Indian government’s recent support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and aid following Cyclone Ditwa? The first country I visited as President was India; the first foreign leader I hosted as President in Sri Lanka was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In recognition of India’s support to Sri Lanka under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, including during the economic crisis, we confer on him the highest honor Sri Lanka bestows on a foreign leader – Sri Mithra Vibhushana. The ties between our two countries and peoples are deep, historic and civilized. When I visited India as President in December 2024, we adopted the India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement titled “Promoting a Community with a Shared Future”. Relations between our two countries now cover all areas of contemporary relevance to our peoples. India provided important support during Sri Lanka’s economic stabilization period. The same goes for India’s support in the context of cyclone Ditwa. Our relationship today is about structural integration and long-term growth. India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner. India is an important investor and the largest source of tourism. Just a few days ago, we welcomed a large number of Indians to Sri Lanka to watch the India-Pakistan T20 Cricket World Cup match. We are exploring expanding cooperation in energy connectivity and renewable energy; digital systems and public infrastructure; maritime security and Indian Ocean stability and security; ports, logistics and supply chains; skills and human capital development and a range of other areas. We are willing to consider all possible cooperation. The strength of Sri Lanka’s economy complements India’s growth trajectory. When Sri Lanka and India work together, it will enhance regional stability and economic resilience across the Indian Ocean region.Your government appears to be engaging in a difficult balancing act as it looks to secure Chinese investment without jeopardizing India’s security. As Sri Lanka hopes to finalize standard operating procedures for foreign research vessels this year, will it consider India’s concerns about not allowing ships with dual-use capabilities to dock in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka pursues an independent foreign policy. At the same time, geography determines liability. We recognize India’s legitimate security interests in the Indian Ocean region. Our security is intertwined. We signed a defense cooperation agreement between the two countries. Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used to undermine the security of other countries. Stability in the Indian Ocean region is our common responsibility, and Sri Lanka will always work closely with India to jointly safeguard this responsibility. Negotiations on the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement remain at an impasse. You have emphasized economic freedom, but given growing economic ties, do you think now is the time to sign a deal?Sri Lanka believes that now is the best time to re-strengthen its economic engagement with India. Global trade dynamics are changing. India is expanding its trade architecture. Sri Lanka will explore how to integrate into this growth environment in a mutually beneficial manner. We hope to restart the discussion on ETCA in a progressive and transparent manner. We are expanding our free trade zone capacity and welcome Indian investment. In addition to the trade agreement, the port partnership between Sri Lanka and India offers huge opportunities. Sri Lanka’s ports have emerged as major transshipment hubs for Indian cargo. By deepening our cooperation, we can: position Sri Lanka as a logistics and value-added partner for Indian manufacturing; develop maritime services joint ventures; strengthen industrial connectivity; and integrate more closely into regional supply chains. Economic integration should create jobs in Sri Lanka and enhance the resilience of both economies. Our direction is clear: deepening cooperation with India, structural integration, common growth, and mutual benefit.
