In an exclusive interview with You Sachin ParasharSri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake He talks about the importance of the AI Impact Summit, supports India’s legitimate security interests in the Indian Ocean, and says Sri Lanka wants to resume ETCA talks in a progressive and transparent manner.
You are visiting India in Prime Minister Narendra ModiInvitation to attend the Artificial Intelligence Summit. I have spoken in the past about the gap between countries in the field of AI and how some countries are unable to use AI for development purposes due to inadequate infrastructure. In this context, what are your expectations from this summit and the outcome document? We congratulate India for bringing this important AI Impact Summit to the Global South. This summit is important not only for technology, but also for partnership. Sri Lanka sees this as an opportunity for India, Sri Lanka, and the broader Global South to shape AI governance together in partnership. Artificial intelligence will determine competitiveness, public service delivery and economic transformation. For developing countries like mine, access to infrastructure, research networks and human capital development is crucial.
Here is the importance of cooperation.For Sri Lanka, this summit must be about democratizing access to AI infrastructure and transforming global principles into practical partnerships for the Global South. Sri Lanka is already laying the foundations for AI-driven development – including a national digital public infrastructure framework, an AI governance architecture, sector AI committees, and an AI Champions program to build institutional capacity.
We are also developing initiatives to expand sovereign data center and AI compute capacity, including partnering with hyperscale cloud providers and developing infrastructure to support AI-ready workloads. But for countries like ours, access to global computing systems, research networks, and advanced talent development remains crucial. Initiatives like the Global AI Impact Commons and Trusted AI Commons are important because they can help democratize AI resources and ensure that innovation is not limited to a few advanced economies. The real impact of the Summit will lie in transforming principles into practical partnerships, and Sri Lanka stands ready to work with India in doing so.
We are already building on such practical partnerships, for example, 25 tech startups are being hosted in Sri Lanka by IIT Madras for a six-week residency.What do you think about India’s focus on comprehensive human-centric AI and the fact of hosting an AI summit for the first time in the Global South? What is Sri Lanka? Position on regulation of artificial intelligence?India’s human-centered approach to AI is closely aligned with Sri Lanka’s reform and development priorities.
Sri Lanka supports a balanced, risk-based regulatory framework that protects citizens while encouraging innovation. Sri Lanka has already passed strong data protection legislation, strengthened its cybersecurity framework, and is working to create a structured AI governance structure to guide responsible adoption.
Instead of fragmented standards, regional cooperation between Sri Lanka and India can enhance interoperability, ethical safeguards, and shared learning.
AI governance should enable growth, strengthen institutions, and expand opportunities. The best way to achieve this is through partnership. We see India as a natural collaborator in building trusted and inclusive AI ecosystems.Looking back, given the historical skepticism your party has had about India and the Indian government’s recent support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, as well as the assistance after Cyclone Ditoa, how has your view of India-Sri Lanka relations evolved over the past 18 months? The first country I visited after being elected president was India; The first foreign leader I received in Sri Lanka as president was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In recognition of India’s support to Sri Lanka under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, including during the economic crisis, we awarded him the highest award Sri Lanka bestows on foreign leaders – the Sri Lanka Mithra Vibhushana. The relationship between our countries and peoples is deep, historical and civilizational.
When I visited India as President in December 2024, we adopted the India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement entitled “Strengthening Partnerships for a Shared Future.” Relations between our two countries now cover all areas of contemporary importance to our peoples. The support provided by India during the period of economic stability in Sri Lanka was significant. The same was the case with the support provided by India in the context of Cyclone Ditoa. Our relationship today is about structural integration and long-term growth.
India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner. India is a major investor and is also the largest exporter of tourism. Just a few days ago, we welcomed a large number of Indians who came to Sri Lanka to watch the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan. We are exploring expanding cooperation in energy interconnection and renewable energy; Digital systems and public infrastructure; maritime security, stability and security of the Indian Ocean; Ports, logistics and supply chains; Skills development, human capital and a range of other areas.
We are open to considering all possible forms of cooperation. A stronger Sri Lankan economy complements India’s growth trajectory. When Sri Lanka and India work together, it will enhance regional stability and economic resilience throughout the Indian Ocean region.Your government appears to be performing a difficult balancing act, looking to secure investments from China while not jeopardizing India’s security. As Sri Lanka looks to finalize its standard operating procedures for foreign research vessels this year, will it take into account India’s concerns that ships with dual-use military capabilities will not be allowed to dock in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka maintains an independent foreign policy. At the same time, geography dictates responsibility. We recognize India’s legitimate security interests in the Indian Ocean region. Our security is intertwined. We have signed a defense cooperation agreement between the two countries. Sri Lanka will not allow its territory to be used in a way that undermines the security of other countries. Stability in the Indian Ocean region is a shared responsibility, and Sri Lanka will always work closely with India to uphold this responsibility.
Negotiations on the economic and technological cooperation agreement are still stalled. You have emphasized economic freedom but given the growing economic relations, do you think now is the time to conclude the agreement?Sri Lanka believes the time is right to revitalize economic engagement with India. The dynamics of global trade are shifting. India is expanding its trade structure. Sri Lanka will explore ways to integrate into this growth environment in a mutually beneficial manner.
We would like to resume discussions on ETCA in a progressive and transparent manner. We are expanding the capacity of the free trade zone and welcome Indian investment.
Beyond trade agreements, port partnerships between Sri Lanka and India offer huge opportunities. Sri Lanka’s ports already serve as major transshipment hubs for Indian goods. By deepening cooperation we can: Position Sri Lanka as a logistics and value-added partner for Indian manufacturing; Developing joint projects in the field of maritime services; Strengthening industrial communication; and integrate more closely into regional supply chains.
Economic integration should create jobs in Sri Lanka and build resilience in both economies. The direction we seek to move is clear: deeper cooperation with India, orderly integration, and shared growth for mutual benefit.
