EAM Jaishankar assures to facilitate Indian, Sri Lankan fishermen meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday assured a delegation of Tamil Nadu fishermen that a meeting between the fishing communities of India and Sri Lanka will be facilitated to discuss the issues affecting them.

He also informed that the recent apprehension of Indian fishermen by the Lankan authorities would be taken up at a meeting of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group to work out a solution to the problems, Tamil Nadu BJP state chief K Annamalai said.

At the meeting in which the government secretaries too participated, Jaishankar mentioned that the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India was summoned over the death of the Rameswaram fisherman, and a strong protest was registered.

"The representatives of the fishing community requested that a joint meeting between the representatives of the fishing community of the two countries be facilitated. Our EAM assured that the same would be considered," Annamalai said in a release here.

Jaishankar had reaffirmed that the Central Government stood "shoulder to shoulder with our Tamil fishermen," in fulfilling their needs, Annamalai who led the delegation of fishermen and senior BJP leaders, said.

The delegation sought a permanent resolution to the recurring attacks on the Indian fishermen in the high seas bordering Sri Lanka.

Further, the representatives of the Mechanised Fishing Boats Association requested the External Affairs Ministry's intervention to prevent the killing of Indian fishermen on the high seas similar to the death of a fisherman from Rameswaram, recently, during which one fisherman went missing.

The representatives thanked the Centre for its efforts in ensuring the return of the mortal remains of the Rameswaram fisherman and urged the Centre to ensure an early release of fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan prisons.

"Our Hon EAM Thiru @DrSJaishankar avl took note of the concerns and highlighted the proactive role of the Indian government in protecting the safety of our Indian Fishermen from Tamil Nadu," Annamalai said in a post on X.