India and Sri Lanka on Friday reviewed bilateral cooperation in the power sector at a meeting in New Delhi. 

The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, while the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Minister of Energy, Anura Karunathilake.

The Ministers reviewed the progress of ongoing bilateral initiatives, including the proposed India-Sri Lanka high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection and the Sampur Solar Power Project.

They also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation in cross-border electricity trade, renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, and capacity building, with a view to enhancing energy security and supporting the clean energy transition in the region.

The Indian side also shared its experience in transmission system development through the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) framework as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Both sides reviewed progress under existing bilateral mechanisms and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation in the power sector for sustainable development and regional energy security.

Minister Manohar Lal reiterated India's commitment to the long-standing India-Sri Lanka energy partnership. Anura Karunathilake appreciated India's continued support and conveyed Sri Lanka's commitment to further expand bilateral energy cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, and senior officials from the Government of India. The Sri Lankan delegation included Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, and other senior officials.

The high-level meeting comes on the heels of the visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Colombo, during which he reiterated India's commitment to Sri Lanka under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Vision MAHASAGAR.

The official visit reaffirmed New Delhi's ongoing commitment to implementing the vision established during President Dissanayaka's December 2024 visit and the bilateral agreements formalised during Prime Minister Modi's April 2025 visit.

Source: ANI

--Agencies