A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk blesses an Indian ambulance in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, July 28, 2016. The emergency ambulance service set up with the assistance from the Government of India was launched on Thursday at the Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Xinhua/A. Rajhita)
COLOMBO, July 28 (Xinhua)-- India on Thursday said that India's Development Cooperation with Sri Lanka is based on the choices and priorities set by the people, the leadership and the government of Sri Lanka.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the partnership between India's capacities and Sri Lanka's needs is not only touching the lives of the people, it also shows the path of constructive regional cooperation.
"India's Development Cooperation with Sri Lanka enjoys a wide spread of projects throughout Sri Lanka in different areas of economic activities. But it must happen as per your aspirations. It is for this reason that our cooperative projects rely on the choices and priorities set by the people, the leadership and the government of Sri Lanka," he said.
The Indian prime minister expressed these views in a video message delivered in Colombo to coincide with the launch of an emergency ambulance service in the western and southern provinces of Sri Lanka.
The project is being implemented through grant assistance of government of India of around 7.55 million U.S. dollars. Project elements include an emergency response centre, deployment of 88 ambulances in the southern and western provinces and recruitment and training of nearly 600 Sri Lankan personnel to implement the project.
"If yesterday it was in Northern Sri Lanka that we dedicated the fruits of our partnership, then today inauguration of this joint project will carry forward our cooperation in southern and western provinces of Sri Lanka," the Indian prime minister said.
The Indian prime minister also said that India stands for a united, stable and prosperous Sri Lanka and the emergency ambulance service is a unique example of this friendship.
