New Delhi: India and Sri Lanka on Friday, July 21, focused on boosting economic linkages through increased air and sea connectivity, even as they greenlighted feasibility studies for a pipeline and land bridge between the two South Asian neighbours.The Wire had first reported on Thursday that connectivity was going to be the main theme of the first visit of Ranil Wickremesinghe to India after taking over as President a year ago. As expected, India urged for the longstanding position on implementing the 13th amendment and called on Sri Lanka to respect each other’s “sensitivities”.With Sri Lanka defaulting on its external debt for the first time in its history, the Indian Ocean country has faced economic challenges as it was unable to buy most of its essential commodities due to its depleted foreign currency reserves. Last year, India had extended an emergency assistance of $4 billion. The South Asian giant had also formed a group with Japan and other Paris Club members to negotiate the restructuring of Sri Lanka’s External debt.After arriving on Thursday evening, Wickremesinghe held a series of meetings with Indian External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and called on President Draupadi Murmu.In the afternoon, the Sri Lankan visitor held formal talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and witnessed the signing of five bilateral documents.Referring to the roller coaster nature of India-Sri Lanka ties in recent years due to Colombo’s ties with China, Modi said that the security interests of both nations are “intertwined”. “And therefore, it is essential that we work together keeping in mind each other’s safety and sensitivities,” he asserted.In his press statement, Modi noted that they had adopted a vision document for economic partnership, titled, “Promoting Connectivity, Catalysing Prosperity”.“This vision is to strengthen Maritime, Air, Energy, and people-to-people connectivity between the people of both countries. This vision is to accelerate mutual cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education, and skill development. This vision is India’s long-term commitment to Sri Lanka,” he said.Currently, there is a single flight a day between Chennai and the northern Lankan city of Jaffna. The two leaders agreed to expand this flight “to Colombo as well as explore connectivity between Chennai and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and other destinations in Sri Lanka”.Besides, ferry services will be additional passenger Ferry Services between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka.“Apart from this, it was also decided to check the feasibility of a land bridge,” said Modi.Announcing another feasibility study for a gas pipeline, Wickremesinghe said that the “construction of a multi-product petroleum pipeline from Southern part of India to Sri Lanka will ensure an affordable and reliable supply of energy resources to Sri Lanka”. The work on connecting the electricity grids will also be expedited.The two leaders also talked about developing the northern port of Trincomalee as an “energy hub”. “The ongoing cooperation in the development of Trincomalee Tank Farms is a reflection of our endeavour to develop mutually beneficial cooperation projects in Trincomalee area, and agreed to further develop Trincomalee as a national and regional hub of industry, energy and economic activity on the basis of mutual understanding,” said the ‘Vision’ document.While extolling the need for enhanced connectivity, the Sri Lankan President noted that it would increase people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties. “The tourism industry in Sri Lanka is poised to reap the benefits of the post-pandemic world and India is currently the top market for inbound tourism for Sri Lanka,” he said.In that context, Wickremesinghe said that enabling India’s UPI-based digital payment would facilitate the growth in Indian tourist and economic activity in Sri Lanka. An agreement between NIPL and Lanka Pay was inked for UPI application acceptance in Sri Lanka.India and Sri Lanka also announced that the stalled talks for negotiating the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) will be “started soon”. Sri Lanka already has a FTA with India, but New Delhi had been seeking a more expanded version which will not be as stacked to Colombo’s advantage. Talks for an ETCA had taken place for several years during the Maithripala Sirisena presidency but were suspended in 2018 with no headway.To mark 200 years of the arrival of Indians to work in tea plantations in Sri Lanka, Modi announced a package of Rs 75 crore for development projects targeting Indian-origin Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka.Wickremesinghe said that he shared the comprehensive proposal for “reconciliation, power sharing through devolution and the multiple elements of the Northern development plan”.“I have invited all party leaders in Parliament to work towards consensus and national unity on these measures. Thereafter the Government will place the relevant legislation before Parliament,” he stated in his press statement.On the long-pending issue of the devolution of powers, Modi hoped that the Sri Lankan government will fulfill “the aspiration of the Tamils”, as well as, “its commitment to implement the Thirteenth Amendment and conduct the Provincial Council Elections”.The Indian PM asserted that this will ensure that the Tamil community of Sri Lanka has a “life of respect and dignity”.The 13th constitutional amendment was a result of the 1987 Indo-Lanka accord, which resulted in the creation of provinces. However, the accord has to be fully implemented as the Sri Lankan government has balked at devolving police and revenue powers to the provinces as envisaged in the agreement.Wickremesinghe stated that he shared his recently-unveiled “comprehensive proposal” for power-sharing and reconciliation. “I have invited all party leaders in Parliament to work towards consensus and national unity on these measures. Thereafter the Government will place the relevant legislation before Parliament”.Ahead of his India visit, the Sri Lankan leader had met with a group of Sri Lankan Tamil lawmakers, but both sides had not been able to find any common ground.