AMN/ WEB DESK
The iconic Jaffna Cultural Centre (JCC), which was built with the grant assistance of the Government of India, was dedicated to the people yesterday. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremasinghe and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan participated in the event among others.
The foundation stone for JCC was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2015 during the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Jaffna. Following the construction of JCC, the iconic facility was virtually inaugurated during the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Colombo in March 2022.
Describing JCC as a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Wickremasinghe thanked him and Indian Government for the Centre. He thanked India for the support extended to Sri Lanka during the economic challenges.
Highlighting cultural similarities between the two countries, he noted that India and Sri Lanka were the two sides of the same coin.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Murugan underlined that India’s partnership with Sri Lanka was guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. He also announced a special financial assistance scheme for 100 students from economically weaker families at the University of Jaffna.
The Minister also highlighted that India has implemented numerous people-centric projects cutting across sectors in Northern Province.
He concluded his three-day visit to Sri Lanka during which he interacted with several dignitaries and visited India-backed projects as well as infrastructure facilities to connect the two countries.