PM Narendra Modi is on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka where the two counties signed several crucial deals including defence pacts and Memorandun of Understandings. One of the important deals is an agreement to develop Trincomalee as a major energy hub.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka isestablishing a new bond of friendship with between the two countries which are already bounded by their mythologies and culture. In one such another step to bolster strategic influence in the Indian Ocean Region, India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to develop a multi-faceted energy hub in the eastern Sri Lankan city of Trincomalee.
The deal was finalised during PM Modi’s visit to Colombo and after his meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This was first visit to the country by PM Modi after Dissanayake took office in last September.
“The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of the Republic of India, the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and the Government of the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub was signed by Prof. K.T.M. Udayanga Hemapala, secretary, ministry of energy (Sri Lanka), and Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary (India),” a government press release stated.
Why Is Trincomalee Important?
In the words of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Trincomalee has immense potential to become a regional hub for energy cooperation. The proposed energy hub here will have a multi-product pipeline and potential use of a World War II-era oil tank farm, partially operated by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), reported TOI.
Trincomalee is a natural deep-water harbour with historic strategic value. Developing it will make India and the UAE leverage from combined technical expertise as Trincomalee can serve as a regional energy logistics centre, the report added.
“The UAE is a strategic energy partner for India, making it an ideal collaborator for this first-of-its-kind initiative in the region,” Misri told reporters in Colombo.
Trincomalee And a China Deterrence
The efforts also hold importance given the China’s ambitions to hold more power in the Indian sub-continent. A recent remark by Bangladesh Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus asking China to increase its arms to Bangladesh has already renewed concerns for India.
PM Modi has promised Dissanayaka full support in rebuilding as Sri Lanka continues to battle a dying economy. The trilateral project in Trincomalee is significant to India’s efforts to strengthen its presence in Sri Lanka, especially at a time when China continues to enhance influence through large-scale infrastructure projects.
This includes the $3.2 billion oil refinery at Hambantota being built by China’s Sinopec, reported Reuters. India’s engagement with Colombo, along with the UAE is seen as a step that can counterbalance China’s footprint in the island nation.
