Peiris, who assumed office in August 2021, said relations between India and Sri Lanka had reached a “high point”. India's concerns about China, which he said had no “rational basis”, had been “consigned to the past”

New Delhi and Colombo are negotiating the supply of two Dornier aircraft to the Sri Lankan military.

"There is a proposal for the purchase of two Dornier aircraft," Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister G L Peiris told The Indian Express after meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval in New Delhi. Nothing has been agreed upon, so there is no finality. There are proposals and counter-proposals, and it is one of the issues being debated."

He stated that one of the topics discussed during his visit was the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session, where Sri Lanka has been repeatedly chastised for failing to follow through on its 2015 commitments to address human rights violations.

His visit comes just weeks after India provided an economic lifeline to Colombo, including a $500 million revolving credit line from Exim Bank of India, a $1 billion credit line for food and pharmaceuticals, a $515 million settlement deferral with the Asian Clearing Union, and a $400 million currency swap facility.

According to Peiris, there was no discussion about the implementation of the 13th Amendment in his meetings. Last month, Sri Lankan Tamil parliamentarians wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting India's assistance in implementing a constitutional provision for devolution of powers included in India's 1987 intervention.Peiris, who takes office in August 2021, stated that India-Sri Lanka relations have reached a "high point." India's concerns about China, which he said lacked "rationality," had been "relegated to the past." He did, however, identify the fishermen's dispute between the two countries as "the one flashpoint" that requires "urgent attention." Sri Lanka and India are now attempting to "transform the character of the relationship, elevating it from a transactional level to strategic partnership," he said. He stated that one of the main components of this would be "closer integration of the Indian economy with that of Sri Lanka" in sectors such as ports, energy, tourism and hospitality, and pharmaceuticals.

The two sides, he said, were planning a joint working group during the visit by Jaishankar in the second half of March, that would include the two foreign ministers, the two fisheries ministers, and possibly some representation from Tamil Nadu.

Indian official sources confirmed that the two sides were in “very early” stage discussions on the supply of the two Dornier aircraft.

The Dornier is a twin-engine multi-purpose aircraft used for maritime surveillance by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. The Indian Air Force also makes use of it. It is produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd under licence from the Swiss company RUAG and serves as a showcase for the government's "Make In India" initiative.

The proposal for India to transfer a maritime surveillance aircraft to Sri Lanka has been in the works for four years, but due to the recent chill in relations, the matter was never seriously discussed.

The Dornier aircraft were among 23 from the IAF fleet that took part in a flypast and aerobatic display in March 2021 to commemorate the Sri Lankan Air Force's 70th anniversary. At the time, the Indian High Commission stated that Sri Lanka was "Priority One" for India in terms of defence.

Peiris stated that his government and New Delhi were working to finalise a memorandum of understanding on an Indian Rs15 million fund for Buddhist temple refurbishment, as well as another agreement on collaboration between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Colombo-based Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute. Another option under consideration is for India to provide a 4,000-metric-tonne floating dock. 

Sri Lanka is “hoping”, Peiris said, that Prime Minister Modi will be able to attend in person the BIMSTEC summit which it is hosting this year as the chair of the grouping. The summit is to be held in the hybrid format.

“There’s so much that has happened during the last few months that there could be a real substance to that visit,” he said.

The decision on whether to invite the leader of the Myanmar junta that seized power in a coup last year would have to be “collegial”, and Sri Lanka would consult all other members of the regional grouping including Bangladesh and Thailand.