India’s Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has begun a two-day official trip to Sri Lanka, signifying a crucial move to enhance ties between the two nations. This visit is significant as it marks the first bilateral official journey by an Indian Vice President to Sri Lanka, highlighting the increasing diplomatic engagement between the neighboring countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, announced the Vice President’s departure, stating, “Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri. C. P. Radhakrishnan @VPIndia has departed for Sri Lanka. A rich agenda involving meeting with Sri Lankan leadership and interacting with Indian community lies ahead.”
During his visit, VP Radhakrishnan is set to meet Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and engage in discussions with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. Additionally, he will interact with leaders of the Indian-origin Tamil community and Tamil representatives from the Northern and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka.
The Vice President will also participate in a community event in Colombo where he will virtually hand over houses to beneficiaries from Tamil communities built under the third phase of the Indian Housing Project. This phase will see the completion of 50,000 houses for Tamil communities, with an additional 10,000 houses currently under development in the fourth phase of the initiative.
VP Radhakrishnan will visit Nuwara Eliya on Monday, where he will inspect project sites and engage with the local Tamil community. The Indian-origin Tamil population in Sri Lanka, numbering around 1.6 million, accounts for approximately 7% of the country’s total population.
This visit occurs amidst a series of recent high-level exchanges between India and Sri Lanka, including President Disanayaka’s visit to India in February and Prime Minister Amarasuriya’s trip in October 2025. It is anticipated to further strengthen the longstanding civilisational and people-to-people bonds shared by India and Sri Lanka.
