During the India-Sri Lanka Virtual Bilateral Summit held Saturday, India announced a US$15 million grant assistance to Sri Lanka to strengthen Buddhist cultural links between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa held the first ever India Sri Lanka Virtual Bilateral Summit on 26 September 2020. This is also India’s first such summit with a neighbor.

“Testifying to the long-standing civilizational links and cultural heritage, Prime Minister Modi announced a grant assistance of US$15 million for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries,” Spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said following the virtual summit.

The grant will assist in deepening people-to-people linkages between the two countries in the sphere of Buddhism, inter-alia, through constructions/renovations of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural exchanges, archaeological cooperation, reciprocal exposition of Lord Buddha’s relics, strengthening of Buddhist scholarship, and supporting the clergy, India’s External Affairs Ministry said.

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