COLOMBO, — March 24 — Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke by telephone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, with both leaders emphasizing the need to keep vital global shipping routes open amid rising tensions in West Asia.
According to India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, the call was initiated by Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two leaders “reiterated the importance of keeping shipping lines open and secure in the interest of the whole world,” it said in a post on X.
In separate posts on X following the call, Mr. Modi said the leaders had also discussed “disruptions affecting global energy security” and reviewed progress on initiatives aimed at strengthening India–Sri Lanka energy cooperation. He added that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to working closely as “close and trusted partners.”
Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his own statement, said the discussion focused on the broader impact of the Middle East crisis on global and regional supply chains, as well as bilateral cooperation in energy and security.
The conversation came shortly after India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he had held talks with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on the implications of the crisis. In a post on X, Mr. Jaishankar said the exchange reaffirmed India’s commitment to its “Neighbourhood First” policy and its “Vision MAHASAGAR” initiative.
The back-to-back contacts reflect mounting concern across South Asia over the potential disruption of key maritime trade routes and energy supplies, particularly for import-dependent economies such as Sri Lanka.
Some political observers say the timing is notable. The flurry of high-level engagements follows fresh diplomatic sensitivities in Colombo after Iran’s ambassador said a day earlier that the ill-fated IRIS Dena had been invited to Sri Lankan waters but was made to wait in international waters before it was sunk. While no official connection has been drawn, analysts say the sequence highlights the increasingly delicate geopolitical environment Sri Lanka must navigate.
