COLOMBO, Dec 20: Sri Lanka is set to establish a national policy regarding the visitation of foreign research vessels, as announced by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on Friday. This decision comes amid a surge of docking requests from Chinese surveillance ships, which have sparked concerns in India.
Herath’s statement follows Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent trip to India.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka imposed a one-year suspension on foreign marine scientific survey vessels operating in its waters and Exclusive Economic Zone. This action was taken in response to serious security apprehensions voiced by India and the US due to the frequency of requests from high-tech Chinese surveillance vessels.
Herath noted that the current moratorium on research vessels is still active and will be reviewed as needed.
After returning to Colombo from India, Dissanayake met with a senior Chinese government official who expressed China’s interest in resuming visits by Chinese research ships to Sri Lanka.
When asked if India had raised any concerns regarding these visits during Dissanayake’s trip, Herath stated that such concerns were driven by national and regional security considerations.
“We assured that we will prevent any actions that could jeopardize India’s security interests using our territory,” Herath remarked.
He also emphasized, “This visit has brought about significant achievements for the Sri Lankan people,” adding that it has elevated the bilateral relationship.
During Dissanayake’s visit, India and Sri Lanka did not finalize any formal agreements but did sign two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) focused on training Sri Lankan public service officials and addressing dual taxation issues.
“We have only agreed to continue discussions on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA). No final agreement was reached on any specific matter,” Herath explained.
When in opposition, Dissanayake’s National People’s Power party had vehemently opposed this agreement.
Herath also dismissed claims that Dissanayake secured an agreement in Delhi for a direct fuel pipeline and a security agreement over the Palk Strait.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to fostering trade and investment between our two nations,” Herath concluded. (PTI)
