Page 12 - India-sri Lanka

Sri Lanka holds all-party meet to resolve Tamil's political autonomy issue

An all-party meeting was held here to discuss the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's Constitution as mooted by India to resolve the long standing demand for political autonomy for the minority Tamils in the island nation, political leaders said on Wednesday. The Tamil parties which participated in the meeting on Tuesday urged the government to hold the northern provincial council election. The 13A is already a part of the Constitution and it is a point that most parties agreed to, Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan told PTI. Ganesan, who represents mostly the Western province based Tamils of Indian-origin, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe has asked him to forward proposals on the 13A issue on behalf of the hill country Tamil community or the Tamils of Indian-origin. India has been pressing Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment which was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987. The 13A provides for devolution of power to the Tamil community. Ganesan sai

Navy Chief R Hari Kumar arrives in Sri Lanka for four-day official visit

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar has been invited as the Chief Guest and Reviewing Officer for the Commissioning Parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy

India, Sri Lanka resume flight service between Chennai and Jaffna

India and Sri Lanka on Monday resumed flight services between Chennai and Jaffna, three years after the island nation discontinued the services due to the Covid pandemic. The first flight on resumption of services landed this morning at the Jaffna International Airport, Upul Dharmadasa the Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Services told reporters. Jaffna airport officials said the Alliance Air service landed at Jaffna at 1125 am local time. A small ceremony was conducted to welcome the flight which had 14 selected passengers, mostly officials, on board. The return to Chennai was scheduled for 2.50 pm local time. The Alliance Air flights would operate four times a week between the two cities. The airport in Palaly was named the Jaffna International Airport as Sri Lanka's third international airport in October 2019 and had its first flight from Chennai. The airport in Palaly was named the Jaffna international airport as Sri Lanka's third international airport in October 2019 an

Sri Lanka to resume flights from Jaffna to Chennai after 3 yrs from Dec 12

Sri Lanka is set to resume flights from the northern Jaffna peninsula to Chennai from Monday, three years after the island nation discontinued the services due to Covid, a spokesman from the Sri Lankan Airport Authority said on Friday. "The commercial flight operations from Chennai International airport to Jaffna International airport will be back effective 12th December 2022," SLAA spokesperson Sumith de Silva told PTI. This will be a resumption of flights since they were stopped for Covid," de Silva said. India's Alliance Air would operate four flights a week between the two cities, said de Silva. Earlier, Sri Lanka's Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament that flights will be operational between Jaffna and Chennai by December 12. However, there are still some improvements left to be done to the runway. The present runway can only accommodate 75-seater aircraft. The airport in Palaly was named the Jaffna international airport as Sri Lanka's third internation

Lanka to resume flights from Jaffna to India next week: Aviation ministry

Sri Lanka will resume flights from the northern Jaffna peninsula to Chennai by next week, a senior minister has said, a move that will help the cash-strapped country's tourism sector and provide a fillip to its beleaguered economy. The tourism sector is the main source of foreign exchange earnings for Sri Lanka. However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled the tourism sector and was one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails. The island nation's earnings from international tourist arrivals for November touched USD 107.5 billion, with the cumulative tally in the first eleven months of the year notching up a whopping USD 1129.4 million, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. "The flights to India from Palaly will resume soon, most probably by December 12," Sri Lanka's Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament on Monday. Flights will be operational between Jaffna and Chennai, the minister said. "There are still some improvements t

Top Headlines: India-UAE trade deal; crude import basket at 10-month low

The price of the Indian basket of crude oil has hit a 10-month low of $88.6 a barrel in November, government data showed

SL navy arrests 15 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in northern waters

The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) stated that the arrests were made during 'a special operation in seas north of Talaimannar to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lanka's waters'

Sri Lanka, India discuss maritime challenges faced in Indian Ocean

The navies of India and Sri Lanka have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and actions to overcome common maritime challenges faced by the navies and coast guard personnel of the two countries in the Indian Ocean. The 32nd international maritime boundary line (IMBL) meeting between Sri Lankan and Indian navies was held here on board SLNS Sayura off the coast of Kankesanthurai in the north on Friday, the Sri Lanka Navy said in a press release. The talks between the navies of the two countries was held to mainly discuss common maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean region. The objective of the IMBL meeting is to strengthen relationships between the two neighbouring countries and discuss actions to be taken pertaining to the navies and Coast Guard personnel to overcome maritime challenges. At this year's meeting delegates from both sides discussed matters pertinent to the security of maritime borders of both countries and exchanged views on the progress of previous ...

SL President Wickremesinghe expresses grief over Gujarat bridge collapse

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday expressed grief over a bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi city and extended his condolences to the victims and their families. The more than a century-old bridge, which had reopened five days back after extensive repairs and renovation, was crammed with people when it collapsed on Sunday evening. Over 130 people have died so far in the accident. In a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wickremesinghe said he is "shocked and saddened" by the tragic bridge collapse incident in Morbi, according to a press release issued by the president's office. "The government and people of Sri Lanka join me in extending deepest condolences to you, the government and people of India especially the families of the citizens who lost their lives. May the injured have a speedy recovery and wish every success in the rescue and recovery operations underway," the president said. Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's .

Sri Lanka gets medicines from Puducherry for Tamil workers in hilly areas

Sri Lanka on Sunday received a consignment of medicines from the Government of Puducherry to be used for the Tamil workers in the hill plantation regions of the island nation's central province, according to the office of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The consignment, which was coordinated by the trade union cum political party of the plantation Tamils of Indian-origin, Ceylon Workers Congress, was received by President Wickremesinghe. Speaking on the occasion, Wickremesinghe said that the government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country origin further into the Sri Lankan Society. While some of the Tamils of Hill Country origin had integrated successfully into the Sri Lankan society, some have failed and measures would be taken to assist them to do so, he said. The President recalled the Sirimalwatte-Shastri Pact between the then Indian and Sri Lankan leaders under which some of the Indian-origin plantation Tamils was ...

Debt restructuring talks underway with IMF, India, China: Sri Lanka Prez

Sri Lanka has started debt restructuring talks with the IMF, India and China, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday, exuding confidence that if the discussions move forward in a systematic way, the country would tide over its worst economic crisis. Addressing a gathering in the Siyambalanduwa district, Wickremesinghe said talks have also started with private creditors on debt restructuring. For the first time yesterday, we began talks with the IMF, China, Japan and India on lessening our debt burden, he said. It will be difficult for us to pay back debt, still we have to find ways to lessen our debt burden. We are faced with a situation where we are unable to meet interest payments. But I'm hopeful that if our talks could be carried forward in a systematic way, we would be able to solve our problems, he said. The president said he spoke to the Chinese finance minister while Sri Lanka's finance minister Shehan Semasinghe on Saturday started talks with India on debt ...

Sri Lankan PM stresses need for further growth in trade with India

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has met top executives from India and stressed the need for further growth in bilateral trade and increase Indian investments in new areas, where the techno knowhow from the neighbouring country could be introduced, according to his office. Prime Minister Gunawardena made the remarks when the Indian CEO Forum-Sri Lanka (ICF) called on him at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. He thanked the Indian companies for their significant input and support to Sri Lanka's economy by way of bringing substantial investments into the cash-strapped country, export earnings, employment generation, and contribution of treasury through direct and indirect taxes, the PM office said in a statement. The ICF team led by its President T S Prakash stated that the member companies represent diverse industries from automobile, banking, cement, and FMCG to fuel, glass, hospitality, infrastructure, logistics, packaging, paint, and pharmaceuticals. Referring t

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy meets Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa brothers

Senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy on Thursday met Gotabaya Rajapaksa here, becoming the first foreign visitor to call on the ousted Sri Lankan president, following his return to Colombo after fleeing the country amidst unprecedented protests against his government's mishandling of the island nation's economy. Swamy, a close friend of the Rajapaksa family who is in Sri Lanka to attend a conference of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University on national security, also met with Gotabaya's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday evening and attended the Navratri pooja at his residence, sources said on Thursday. "Swamy, a close friend of the Rajapaksa brothers attended the Navaratri pooja held at Mahinda Rajapaksa's official residence last night before calling on Gotabaya Rajapaksa this morning," sources said. Swamy has become the first foreign visitor to call on Gotabaya since he returned early this month after his self-imposed exile after facing a violent nationwide prote

Sri Lanka to seek India or China's credit line for solar panel imports: Min

Sri Lanka intends to seek an Indian or Chinese credit line for the purchase of solar panels as a solution to mitigate the high cost of electricity tariffs, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Tuesday amid calls by the influential Buddhist clergy to protest against the rising electricity price. We have the problem of foreign exchange, making it difficult to pay for imports. One solution we have to think is to have a credit line from India or China as panels are imported from them," Wijesekara told parliament. In August, Sri Lanka hiked the electricity tariff by an average of 75 per cent, after nine years. The government is facing criticism from the Buddhist clergy, who claim that their monthly bills had reached unbearable levels. The influential Buddhist clergy has called on the public not to pay the electricity bills in protest. Wijesekara said there are over 48,000 consumer connections for religious places. Over 15,000 of them were consuming less than 30 units

India plans no more funding for Sri Lanka as IMF talks progress: Report

'We have already given $3.8 billion worth of assistance. Now it's all about the IMF'

IND vs SL Asia Cup Super Four Highlights: Sri Lanka win by six wickets

India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super Four Highlights: Sri Lanka won a thrilling encounter as Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dausn Shanaka kept their cool to chase down 174 and win the game by six wickets

Asia Cup IND vs SL: Should India consider Hardik Pandya as fifth bowler?

In a career of 69 matches, Hardik has taken two or more wickets, conceding less than 30 runs on nine occasions. And out of those nine matches, he has played as the fifth bowler only thrice

India, 9 other countries eye Lankan market to sell petroleum items: Report

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Power and Energy has said that 24 companies from 10 countries, including India have evinced interest in selling petroleum products in the crisis-hit country's petroleum sector, according to media reports. Sri Lanka is in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades, which is triggered by a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves. Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that 24 companies from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States, China, India, Russia, the UK, Malaysia, Norway and the Philippines have submitted proposals for the Expressions of Interest (EOI) to engage in the country's petroleum sector, news portal Colombo Page reported on Sunday. In July, the Ministry of Power and Energy had called for EOI from established companies in petroleum producing countries using their funds for distribution and selling of petroleum products in Sri Lanka on a long-term basis. A ministry-appointed panel will now ..

India slams China, says Sri Lanka needs support, not 'unwanted pressure'

India on Saturday hit back at China for alleging that it was "interfering" in Sri Lanka's internal affairs, firmly telling Beijing that what Colombo needs now was "support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies" to serve another country's agenda. Hinting at India's objection to the docking of Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship 'Yuan Wang 5' at the Hambantota port, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhongon in a statement on Friday said that "external obstruction" based on so-called security concerns without any evidence is a "thorough interference" into the island nation's sovereignty and independence. "We have noted the remarks of the Chinese Ambassador. His violation of basic diplomatic etiquette may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude," the High Commission of India in Sri Lankan tweeted. It said Qi's view of India may be coloured by how his own country behaves. "India, we assure him, is very different," the Indian miss

Lanka needs support, not 'unwanted pressure' to serve China's agenda: India

Hitting out at China for its remarks on India's objection to the docking of its high-tech ship at Sri Lanka's Hambantota port, New Delhi on Saturday firmly told Beijing that what Colombo needs now is "support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies" to serve another country's agenda. "We have noted the remarks of the Chinese Ambassador. His violation of basic diplomatic etiquette may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude," the High Commission of India in Sri Lankan tweeted. It said the Chinese envoy Qi Zhenhong's view of India may be coloured by how his own country behaves. "India, we assure him, is very different," the Indian mission here said. The Ambassador's imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purported scientific research vessel is a giveaway, the mission said, adding that "opaqueness and debt driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations. Recent developments are a caution". "Sri Lanka needs support,