Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that it is in Sri Lanka’s own interest to fulfill the expectations of the Tamil people. Jaishankar reminded Colombo of the commitment it had made under the 13th amendment regarding "meaningful devolution." 

Jaishankar's comment came during a joint press conference in Colombo with his Sri Lanka counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena on the second day of his three-day visit. It came in the backdrop of a proposal by the Sri Lanka government which calls for the abolition of the provincial councils established under the 13th amendment at India's behest way back in 1987. 

The proposal is being seen as detrimental to Sri Lanka’s Tamil ethnic minority that mostly resides in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country. 

“India has been strongly committed to the unity, stability, and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Our support for the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka is longstanding, as indeed for an inclusive political outlook that encourages ethnic harmony,” said Jaishankar. 

The last time Jaishankar had visited Sri Lanka was in November 2019, just days after Gotaybaya Rajapaksha won a landslide victory in the presidential election. 

A week earlier, former Lankan President Maithripala Srisena also warned against the abolition of provincial councils, suggesting it could damage the country’s relation with India.

“In our region, friendship with India is very important to Sri Lanka. The friendship between the two countries is of utmost importance and should be strengthened by all governments. Abolishing provincial councils is like playing with fire,” Sirisena was quoted as saying by The Hindu. 

The 13th amendment was introduced by the Sri Lankan government as part of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord-1987. 

On Wednesday morning, Jaishakar met with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksha. A meeting with Prime Minister Mahindra Rajapakshe is also on the cards.  
 
Jaishankar is likely to meet with important Tamil leaders on Thursday. “In line with our shared democratic traditions, meetings are also planned with other important political and community leaders,” he said. 

Calling Sri Lanka, India’s closest maritime neighbor and partner,  he said, “Covid has not been able to dent our bilateral cooperation. High-level contacts were maintained and indeed strengthened during the past year and the Virtual Bilateral Summit between our prime ministers was a high watermark for us in 2020.” 

During his visit, India and Sri Lanka are likely to discuss projects in the fields of infrastructure, energy, and connectivity. A decision on the development of the Colombo port’s East Terminal by India is also anticipated during the course of this visit. However, trade unions and communist organizations in Sri Lanka have been protesting the development of the port by any foreign country.