Amid apprehensions here about a traditionally hostile-to-India party in power in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday assured New Delhi that his country’s territory would not be used in any way that was detrimental to India.

Dissanayake said he had given India the assurance while addressing the media at Hyderabad House after one-to-one and delegation-level discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The assurance comes in the backdrop of India raising objections with Colombo in 2022 for allowing a Chinese "research" vessel to dock at Hambantota Port.

Asked if the berthing of foreign research vessels in Sri Lankan ports was taken up with Dissanayake during the discussions, foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that India’s understanding is that Colombo is looking into the issue.

"There are a number of considerations that they need to take into account. We did highlight from our perspective the role that India could play in a number of activities related to maritime security, maritime research and we pointed to the importance and the sensitivity of our security interests in this area," he said.

Referring to Dissanayake’s assurance, Misri said: "We will continue to engage with the Sri Lankan government on all these issues and we are confident that such issues will be given due care by Colombo."

On whether the Adani issue was raised given that Dissanayake’s government had announced that connectivity projects with India besides the Adani power projects would be reviewed after the Lok Sabha elections, Misri said there was no detailed discussion on this. During his presidential election campaign, Dissanayake had announced that he would cancel the Adani group’s wind power project. "We understand the government is looking at various economic cooperation projects," Misri added.

On his first overseas visit after the presidential and parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka in which his party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, and its alliance won convincingly, Dissanayake sought to impress upon Delhi that his mandate came from across the island nation, including the north and east where the Tamil community largely live.

India has been raising the issue of no measurable progress by Colombo on its commitment to a political solution to the ethnic issue. This includes full implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, delegation of powers to provincial councils and holding the provincial council elections at the earliest.

Modi raised it again on Monday during the bilateral discussions and in his press statement. "We also talked about reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. President Dissanayake apprised me of his inclusive perspective. We hope that the Sri Lankan government shall fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil people. And that they shall fulfil their commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of Sri Lanka and conducting the provincial council elections," Modi said.