New Delhi [India], December 26 : Mahishini Colonne, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India hailed how India has consistently stood by Sri Lanka when the country faced key challenges in the last two decades and called New Delhi as a model for all other regions.
In an exclusive interview to ANI, Colonne highlighted how India has come to Sri Lanka's aid right from the 2004 Tsunami to Cyclone Ditwah.
"Way back in 2004 when the tsunami struck, India was the first country to rush in with assistance to Sri Lanka. that was also while India faced severe difficulty as well during the time of the tsunami. India lost lives as well. And so from 2004 onwards, if we just take that as the benchmark, because it was exactly 21 years ago that that happened. So tsunami and then 2009, there was the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, and India rushed in to help even then when Sri Lanka was faced with this problem of dealing with displaced persons and then economic instability in 2022. Then in 2019, there was the COVID pandemic when India rushed in vaccines to help us. And then the economic crisis and now cyclone Ditwah". .
She underscored, "Sri Lanka at first hand has experienced how India has consistently, over the last two decades, stood by Sri Lanka, even at moments when India itself faced difficulty. So I believe that it's a model for the region, for the entire Indian Ocean region, as well as the larger Indo-Pacific, in fact India being so close geographically to Sri Lanka, India is best placed to help. And India's help has also been not of just relief and rescue itself. In every instance that I mentioned, India has also seen through Sri Lanka in the next phase of rebuilding, reconstructing, and so on."
Colonne noted how Indian help to Sri Lanka cuts across party lines and governments and how the capacity-building is not conditional on anything.
She told ANI, "India also respects the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, meaning India helps based on the needs of Sri Lanka and what the Sri Lankan people want. then it's also across governments, across individual leaders, because we've seen different governments in Sri Lanka, different governments in India, different leaders. But India has built this capacity and irrespective of which government is in power, India has the capacity to help and India has built that capacity so it's not also conditional on anything. I think it's a very good model for all other regions and for the Indo-Pacific region at large."
In the interview which touched several aspects of India-Sri Lanka ties, speaking about the tourism links between New Delhi and Colombo, Colonne, said, "India is Sri Lanka's largest source market for tourism. In 2024, Indians accounted for about 20% of tourists visiting Sri Lanka... for Indian travellers, Sri Lanka is more than just a tourist destination because we share a culture and a civilisational link... Apart from that, you're also helping us, not just the government, but people whose livelihoods depend on tourism... the message that I want to give is it's also value for money... I want to invite all Indians. I think in 2026, Sri Lanka should be on every Indian's itinerary. Sri Lankans welcome Indians, and we see Indians as family..."
On Sri Lankan participation in the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, the High Commissioner told ANI, "There will be participation from Sri Lanka, but at this particular moment, I cannot say who will be participating. India-Sri Lanka relationship is at a level of unprecedented excellence, and going forward, I think the sky is the limit."