Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said that India has shown great potential of becoming one of the biggest economies.
While addressing the Indian Ocean Conference, Wickremesinghe said that in the future India will be one of the biggest names in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
"India has shown great potential of becoming one of the biggest economies in the world in PPP by 2050," said Wickramasinghe.
Wickramasinghe further urged to maintain freedom of navigation for his nation to become hub of IOR (Indian Ocean Region)
"We believe maintaining freedom of navigation is very important for Sri Lanka to become hub of IOR (Indian Ocean Region)," he added.
Earlier in the day, External Affair Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj said for New Delhi to ensure safety and security of the Indian Ocean.
More From This Section
Addressing the Indian Ocean Conference, Swaraj said the vision of highlighting security needs in the waters of Indian Ocean was propelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the concept of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region)
"Our vision for the Indian Ocean region is to preserve its organic unity, while advancing cooperation. We envisage Indian Ocean as an engine for growth and prosperity in our region and beyond. It is of utmost importance that these waters remain safe and secure. This vision was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2015 when we put forward the concept of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region). This is a clear high level articulation of India's vision for the Indian Ocean," said Swaraj.
India Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank, is hosting the Indian Ocean Conference 2017 (IOC) in collaboration with Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore, and National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Colombo -- both research and study centres -- and the theme of the conference is peace, progress and prosperity.
Around 35 nations are participating in the Conference.