Exclusive | Sri Lanka to launch UPI on February 12, says Foreign Minister Sabry

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has said that India's UPI will be launched on 12th February. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal in Perth, he said, "UPI payment gateway will be signed. And I think both our leaders will connect online" which will help increase tourism. The minister is in Perth for the Indian Ocean conference. He also pointed to the establishment of Indian IIT in his country. He said, 'Delegation from Sri Lanka went to IIT Madras and they are discussing the possibility of establishing an IIT campus in Sri Lanka'.

Here's the full conversation

WION: I have with me the Sri Lankan foreign minister here in Perth at the Indian Ocean conference. SIR welcome to WION, starting with the Indian Ocean, how do you see this region? Going forward there are several challenges we have seen like the crisis in the Red Sea.

Ali Sabry: I think the Indian Ocean is going to be very important for the future... future of the region and for the globe. Therefore, it's important that make collaborative partnerships, understand each other give diplomacy a chance and try to resolve issues through dialogue. So that could only be done through these kinds of involvement.

WION: Essentially, how can Sri Lanka play an important role in terms of providing stability to regions sir?

Ali Sabry: Sri Lanka as you know always advocated peace in the Indian Ocean. In 1971, we went to the UN and resolved a resolution. We moved the resolution to maintain the Indian Ocean and that space as a zone of peace. So that's our legacy. So we continue to do so. I think India could play a very balancing role, given ourindependent foreign policy and allied foreign policy and close leadership and the friendship that we have traditionally maintained with India and also with the other powers, both on the West and the East. So, therefore, I feel Sri Lanka can play a very important role. And I think being the chair of the IORA, we try to make use of this opportunity to bring parties together. We intend to have an IORA Summit, if the leaders' calendar permits that this year.

WION: You are planning an IORA summit... are the leaders... has there been a conversation with other countries?

Ali Sabry: Yes, of course, we have during the foreign ministers meeting in October in Colombo, we discussed this and inprinciple parties agreed. Of course, it all depends on how the leaders' calendar will suit them.

WION: Sir coming to the bilateral aspect, how is the relationship between India and Sri Lanka going forward? India played an important role in making sure that $4 billion was given to your country when it was going through an economic crisis.

Ali Sabry: I think Sri Lanka and India have read partnership in the recent past a it has really improved Sri Lankans, as you very correctly pointed out, with gratitude remember, the great support extended by the Indians during the crucial hour in 2022. Because the challenge at that point in time was to get the bridging financing until IMF go through the EFF and other things have been going on. We need to live for a day or two. So that was a very euro too during that particular period of time. India played a great role by extending that facility by the credit line and also postponing UPI payments and all those things. So we are very grateful. I think that has provided an opportunity for further collaboration and we are happy to see a lot of projects which have been in the pipeline for a long period of time are ultimately realizing a lot of interest on the part of the Indian companies to engage in Sri Lanka, not only government to government, but private sector as well as people to people contact has improved. We have seen an upsurge of the Indian tourists coming towards Sri Lanka. So I think these are good times. We must capitalize on that and create a situation which is good for both countries.

WION: Usage of Indian rupee anything on the anvil?

Ali Sabry: Yes, I think by the next 12 the UPI payment gateway will be signed. And I think both our leaders will connect online. So hopefully with that UPL will be a lab in Colombo. So that will boost the tourism back in Sri Lanka again.

WION: So when it will be launched, you have a date?

Ali Sabry: Yeah, I think we are now scheduled to virtually sign that on the 12th of this month. Okay, so with that it will be officially launched.

WION: Okay, that's a big development. We had an interview with your president as well who spoke about the establishment of IIT in Sri Lanka, if you can give me details.

Ali Sabry: Yeah, I think a delegation from Sri Lanka went to IIT Madras and they are discussing the possibility of establishing an IIT campus in Sri Lanka, probably in the district of either Candy or Nuwara Eliya. So we will be in the hill country, so therefore, we see a lot of potential and I see a lot of potential for education in Sri Lanka, and collaboration and partnership with IIT is a good way to look at it.

WION: Sir my final question to you is, essentially, when it comes to the region, we have talked about the Indian Ocean region, but there are groupings as well. You mentioned about the IORA. BIMSTEC is a grouping that is an emerging grouping. What's your hope on that grouping?

Ali Sabry: BIMSTEC we had about last year in Thailand, we had a very interesting and important discussion among the foreign ministers, in which we discussed the way forward for the BIMSTEC. I say BIMSTEC is a very vibrant organisation, with a lot of potential in the Bay of Bengal initiative. So with the land connectivity with India is interested and with the land connectivity on which Sri Lanka is focused, we see BIMSTEC as a viable strong organisation. Hopefully, we can strengthen this further. So Thailand is the current chair and last year we were to have a summit but we couldn't have it. Hopefully, we will have it sometime towards the end of the year. And with that, we could give some impetus. See that the BIMSTEC plays a role to connect the region and improve economic abilities for everybody in the region.

WION: I'm tempted to ask another question. And this is related to one of your replies in New York that became very viral in India and was related to Canada. How do you see the Canadian government's policy? We know that they continue to make remarks on India the relationship with Sri Lanka we know is something that hasn't been said it ends as well.

Ali Sabry: I think it's important that people should know there a two sides to any story before jumping to a conclusion and only please, a segment of a society or community is not that great. That's not diplomacy. So therefore, we would urge all parties to take diverse opinions and give diplomacy a chance and don't be carried out with one-sided versions, which have been promoted by certain people with a hidden agenda and ulterior motives, because countries cannot get isolated themselves. Everyone needs everyone. So globalization means that people-to-people contact matters. So people-to-people contact means every.. whole people matters not a group of people matters. So that's the message I have to give. We would urge that all perspectives be taken into consideration in deciding the country's policy towards another country. For example, if it is Sri Lanka, take the perspective of the Sri Lankan government, the Sri Lankan community at large, not a particular segment of the Sri Lankan community. So that's how we can build relationships and build bridges is easy to you know, build walls and divide people challenge is to bring people together. So that challenge cannot be done through ill advice or one-sided acts, it needs to be a broader perspective, sit and discuss, and give diplomacy a chance.

WION: Thank you...