The information was released after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on his first state visit to India since winning the country’s elections last September.

The financial assistance scheme will cover 100 students from the University of Jaffna and the Eastern University of Sri Lanka each year until the end of their academic courses and the $14.9 million grant will contribute to signaling in the Maho-Anuradhapura section of the ongoing railway project.

In addition, representatives of the two nations exchanged a protocol to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion, and a memorandum of understanding for the training of civil servants.

In official talks, the dignitaries agreed on the potential for further cooperation and affirmed their commitment to advance the bilateral relationship toward a comprehensive partnership mutually beneficial to their states.

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