Page 2 - India-sri Lanka

RBI revises norms for rupee lending in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

The RBI said it has also extended the time for repatriating money in foreign currency accounts maintained in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India from one month to three months.

Sri Lankan Navy arrests 47 Indian fishermen, five trawlers seized

As many as 47 Indian fishermen were arrested and their five trawlers seized on Thursday at Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation's waters, the Navy here said. The arrests were made during coordinated patrols conducted in the Mannar and Delft sea areas. The 47 arrested fishermen and their equipment will be handed over to the fisheries inspectorate in the north for further action, the Navy said. The Naval command operation to arrest them began late last night and lasted until the early hours of Thursday, Navy spokesman Commander Buddika Sampath told PTI. The fishermen issue remains a contentious one in the India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. Last month, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boat seized near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.

Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi begins four-day official visit to Sri Lanka

He would also participate in the 12th edition of the Galle Dialogue 2025 - International Maritime Conference in Colombo, on the theme 'Maritime Outlook of the Indian Ocean under Changing Dynamics'

Ex-envoys urge Centre to stay alert as turmoil grips India's neighbourhood

As Nepal plunged into chaos in the face of massive anti-government protests, various former Indian ambassadors said New Delhi must watch this unfolding situation "very closely," with some underlining that India's neighbourhood is "indeed in turmoil" which is not a healthy sign. They cited instances of public protests, largely led by youth, that had led to political upheavals and the toppling of governments in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in recent years. The Himalayan nation reeled under a grave political crisis with Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigning on Tuesday amid large-scale demonstrations in Kathmandu, and protesters setting on fire the Nepalese leader's private house in Balkot and attacking the residences of various former ministers. Violent protests by youths against a government ban on social media sites rocked Nepal on Monday, with police's use of force leaving at least 19 people dead and over 300 others injured. Veteran diplomat Venu Rajamony said what is happening in Ne

INS Rana, INS Jyoti arrive in Colombo for SLINEX-25 naval exercise

The previous edition of SLINEX was conducted at Visakhapatnam, India, from December 17 to 20, 2024

No intention of ceding Katchatheevu island, says Lankan foreign minister

Sri Lanka has no intention to cede the Katchatheevu island, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said, calling the "rumblings" in India an issue between the political parties there. We have our diplomatic channels open to resolve the issue, but what is certain is Sri Lanka will never agree to let go of a part of Sri Lanka which is Katchatheevu and established so by international law," Herath on Thursday told Sirasa TV in response to a question on frequent arrests of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters. Fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on June 27 said the issue of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen stems from an agreement during the Emergency, imposed in 1975, under which their rights for fishing in some specific areas were given up. Herath, however, brushed off the issue, saying that "rumblings" over the Katchatheevu issue are "political sparring ...

True leadership tested in conflict, says SL's Army chief at IMA parade

Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo on Saturday reviewed the passing out parade of the IMA's spring term and said true leadership is tested not in peace but in the chaos of conflict. Addressing 451 gentlemen cadets who were commissioned into the armies of their respective countries, Lt Gen Rodrigo who is himself an alumnus of the institution said being commissioned is only the beginning. "The hard part begins when you leave the institution. Staying an officer is harder than becoming one, as military leadership is not about shouting orders, it is about earning the quiet respect of the men you lead," he said. "True leadership is tested not in peace but in the chaos of conflict as I myself did during Sri Lanka's long and difficult fight with internal conflict," Rodrigo said. He asked them to lead their men from the front and put their safety above their own, be their strength in fear, their beacon in doubt and their hope in despair care. "Never forget t

Sri Lanka restructures nearly $931 million in credit lines with India

The deal between the two countries will facilitate deeper cooperation on multiple projects including an energy hub

Pahalgam attack: Flight in Sri Lanka searched for suspected attackers

Indian intel sparks high-alert search at Colombo airport, Sri Lanka authorities say no suspects found on board

SL to table 'secret' defence deal with India in Parl: Prez Dissanayake

However, President Dissanayake dismissed allegations of secrecy, saying the deal with India will strengthen defence ties while respecting sovereignty

Sri Lanka to hold talks with India, UAE to build new energy hub in May

The hub in the eastern harbour city of Trincomalee will involve the construction of a multi-product pipeline as well as bunkering facilities

Sri Lanka releases 14 Indian fishermen after PM Modi urges humane approach

Sri Lanka on Sunday released at least 11 Indian fishermen as a special gesture, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for resolving the vexed fishermen issue with a "humane approach". The fishermen issue figured prominently during talks between PM Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday. "We also discussed issues related to fishermen's livelihood. We agreed that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter," Modi said in his media statement after meeting Dissanayake. "We also emphasised on immediate release of the fishermen and their boats," he said. At least 11 Indian fishermen were released as a special gesture, people familiar with the matter said. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in ties between the two sides. There have been several alleged incidents in the past of Sri Lankan Navy personnel using force against Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka. At

PM Modi departs for home after concluding 'productive' visit to Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for India on Sunday after concluding a "very productive" visit to Sri Lanka where he held extensive talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and witnessed the signing of several agreements to boost cooperation in sectors such as defence, energy and digitalisation. Modi arrived in the Sri Lankan capital from Thailand, where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). "A very productive State Visit to Sri Lanka concludes. PM @narendramodi emplanes for India," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. During the prime minister's visit, the two nations inked a defence pact to institutionalise military cooperation, signalling an upward trajectory in defence relations, leaving behind the bitter chapter of India pulling out the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) from the island nation around 35 years ago. The prime minister asserted

India, Sri Lanka, UAE unveil ambitious initiative for energy cooperation

India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday firmed up an ambitious agreement to develop Trincomalee as an "energy hub" with a broader aim to help Colombo to achieve energy security and fuel its economic growth. The pact was signed following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. To expand their energy ties, India and Sri Lanka also concluded a separate pact on electricity grid interconnection, a project that has been on the drawing board for some time. On the tripartite energy pact, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said it is an initiative designed to ensure Sri Lanka's energy security, provisioning of energy at affordable rates, and also to contribute revenue to the island nation through export earnings from energy. Explaining the pact, Misri said at a media briefing that the pact is a government-to-government MoU in order to provide the enabling framework, and to set out some of the broad terms of ...

PM Modi urges Sri Lankan Prez to address Tamil community's aspirations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake New Delhi's expectation from Colombo to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and conduct provincial council elections. The issue figured in the wide-ranging talks between Modi and Dissanayake here. Separately, the prime minister met a group of Tamil leaders from Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and reaffirmed India's continuous commitment to work for the well-being of the community. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution that provides for devolution of power to it. The 13th Amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987. In his media statement following the talks with Dissanayake, Modi hoped that Colombo will fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of the country. We also talked about reconstruction and ...

Sri Lankan President confers Mitra Vibhushana, highest honour, on PM Modi

PM Modi arrived in Colombo on Apr 4 for his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019, on a three-day State visit at the invitation of President Dissanayake

PM Modi, Sri Lankan prez discuss 'Neighbourhood First' policy, Tamil people

India and Sri Lanka signed a landmark defence cooperation agreement to bolster defence ties, promote maritime security, and increase strategic engagement

India, Sri Lanka sign defence pact after PM Modi, Prez Dissanayaka talks

For the first time, India and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked an ambitious defence cooperation pact following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The two sides also signed a pact to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub. Another agreement was inked to facilitate New Delhi's multi-sectoral grant assistance to Sri Lanka's eastern region. PM Modi and President Dissanayake also virtually inaugurated the Sampur solar power project. Several agreements were also firmed up between the two sides following the talks between the two leaders. The talks were held a day after Modi arrived in the Sri Lankan capital after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). Ahead of the talks, Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the historic Independence Square in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital, in perhaps the first such honour given to a forei

PM Modi should resolve TN fishermen issue with Sri Lanka: AIADMK's Sathyan

Sathyan stressed the need for diplomatic efforts to secure the release of detained fishermen

PM Modi receives ceremonial welcome as he begins 3-day visit to Sri Lanka

PM Modi's arrival in Colombo came after his visit to Thailand, where he held a bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and attended the Bimstec Summit