Page 25 - Sri Lanka

SL navy arrests 9 Indian fishermen for alleged maritime boundary violation

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 9 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly violating its maritime boundary, a state Fisheries department official here said on Tuesday. Two mechanised boats were also seized. The fishermen, belonging to Mandapam in the district, set sail for fishing on Monday morning and were apprehended late last night between Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu, the official added.

Sri Lankan Prez to call all-party meet on implementation of 13A: Minister

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will convene an all-party meeting next week on the implementation of the contentious 13th Amendment to the country's Constitution, a long-pending demand of the minority Tamil community, a minister said on Saturday. The announcement came a day after the issue figured prominently in the wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Wickremesinghe, with the Indian prime minister highlighting the need for the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Prime Minister Modi conveyed to Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit, India's expectations from Colombo to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment that provides for devolution of power to it. The 13th Amendment (13A) was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987. It creat

Sri Lanka may accept Indian rupee for local transactions, says FM Sabry

Sri Lanka is considering the possibility of allowing the usage of the Indian rupee for local transactions just like the dollar, euro and yen to facilitate Indian tourists and businessmen, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said on Saturday. Sabry was briefing the media here on President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India on July 20-21, his first since assuming office last year. He held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. We have considered the possibility of using the Indian rupees like we accept the dollar, euro and yen," he said. Allowing its direct use would prevent the need for multiple currency conversions for Indian tourists and businessmen. On Friday, the two countries noted that the decision to designate INR as currency for trade settlements between the two countries has forged stronger and mutually-beneficial commercial linkages, and agreed to operationalise the Unified Payments Interface-based digital payments for further enhancing trade and transactions between

India looks forward to strengthening partnership with Sri Lanka: Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said India looks forward to continuing and strengthening its developmental partnership with Sri Lanka. Welcoming Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had called on Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she said Sri Lanka occupies a special place in India's Neighbourhood First' Policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region) vision. "India's multi-pronged support to Sri Lanka in the last one year to tide over its economic challenges is a testament to India's long-standing commitment to bilateral relations with Sri Lanka," the president said. She emphasised that India has always stood with Sri Lanka during its hour of need and would continue to do so in future as well. The president said India looks forward to continuing and strengthening its developmental partnership with Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Murmu said "our partnership is endur

India, Lanka look to link up via oil pipeline, land connectivity & UPI

UPI-based digital payments, too, will start in Sri Lanka in the next 2-3 months

India, Sri Lanka agree to boost ties via energy, power and port projects

The two countries also will soon restart negotiations on a more expansive trade deal known as the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement

India, Sri Lanka adopt vision document to expand economic partnership

India and Sri Lanka on Friday adopted an ambitious vision document to significantly expand economic partnership after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In his media statement, Modi, referring to the economic difficulties in Sri Lanka last year, said India stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the people of the island nation during the crisis as a close friend. The prime minister said firming up of an agreement for launch of the UPI payment system in Sri Lanka will result in fintech connectivity between the two sides. The past one year has been full of challenges for the people of Sri Lanka, he said, adding that being a close friend, as always, India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Sri Lanka. In his comments, Modi said the security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are intertwined and it is necessary to work together keeping in mind each other's security interests and sensitivities. Modi

Gautam Adani meets Sri Lankan President, proposes green hydrogen project

Billionaire Gautam Adani on Friday proposed to set up a green hydrogen plant in Sri Lanka, where his conglomerate is already developing a container terminal and a 500 MW wind project. Adani met visiting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss ongoing projects and the new venture. "Great Honour to have met H.E. President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss a fascinating set of projects in Sri Lanka including continued development of Colombo Port West Container Terminal, 500 MW wind project, and extending our renewal energy expertise to produce green Hydrogen," he tweeted. The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is developing a USD 700 million container terminal at Colombo Port, which is a major transshipment hub in South Asia. The Adani group is also developing the Vizhinjam seaport project in Kerala, just 176 nautical miles from the Colombo port. The conglomerate's renewable energy firm, Adani Green Energy, is setting up two wind projects of 286 MW in Mannar and

PM Modi holds talks with Lankan president to boost economic cooperation

Wickremesinghe arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit which is the first tour of India by a senior Sri Lankan leader since the island nation was hit by an unprecedented economic crisis last year

EAM Jaishankar meets Sri Lanka president during leader's 2-day India visit

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi noted that Wickremesinghe's visit will further boost the multi-prolonged partnership between India and Sri Lanka

Expecting Sri Lankan prez's visit to impart momentum to bilateral ties: MEA

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday kicked off a two-day visit to India that is expected to impart a new momentum in bilateral ties, especially in the economic and trade sphere. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Wickremesinghe will hold wide-ranging talks on Friday covering all key aspects of relations between the two countries. It is the first visit to India by a Sri Lankan leader since the island nation reeled under a severe economic crises last year. "We Look forward to the visit to impart a new momentum to the relationship," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing. India extended financial assistance worth around USD 4 billion to Sri Lanka including lines of credit for purchases of food and fuel last year when it was hit by the economic crisis. New Delhi also provided guarantees to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help the country secure a USD 2.9 billion bailout package. In the evening, External Affairs

Expecting Lankan President's visit to impart new momentum to ties: MEA

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday kicked off a two-day visit to India that is expected to impart a new momentum in bilateral ties, especially in the economic and trade sphere. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Wickremesinghe will hold wide-ranging talks on Friday covering all key aspects of relations between the two countries. "We Look forward to the visit to impart a new momentum to the relationship," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing. India extended financial assistance worth around USD 4 billion to Sri Lanka including lines of credit for purchases of food and fuel last year when it was reeling under a severe economic crisis. New Delhi also provided guarantees to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help the country secure a USD 2.9 billion bailout package. "This is a very important visit. It (Sri Lanka) is a neighbouring country with whom we have very important and multi-faceted relations. I do not wan

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe to visit India to further cement ties

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will embark on a two-day official visit to India on Thursday for talks with the country's top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to further advance and consolidate the bilateral relations. This will be Wickremesinghe's first visit to India after being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a people's uprising in July. President Wickremesinghe is undertaking the official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said in a statement this week. The visit takes place as both countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. During the visit, President Wickremesinghe would meet his counterpart Droupadi Murmu and hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakar and other Indian dignitaries on a range of issues of mutual ...

Sri Lanka parliament passes anti-corruption bill without vote: Speaker

The legislation was passed without a vote in the 225-member parliament

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit India this week

The visit will reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two countries and explore avenues for enhanced connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors

India, Lanka committee holds meet; discusses strengthening connectivity

Joint Committee also identified a number of areas for mutual cooperation for the operationalization of ferry services in near future and desired to take further steps based on mutual understanding

Not averse to using Indian rupee as common currency: Lanka President

Sri Lanka would want to see the Indian rupee used as much as the US dollar, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, days ahead of his first official visit to New Delhi. Wickremesinghe, also the cash-strapped country's finance minister, made this remark while addressing the Indian CEO Forum here this week. Just as East Asia, including countries like Japan, Korea and China, witnessed significant growth 75 years ago, it is now India's turn, along with the Indian Ocean region," Wickremesinghe said. Wickremesinghe is expected to visit New Delhi next week, his first since becoming president a year ago amidst unprecedented economic and political turmoil in the island nation. Wickremesinghe's comments were in response to the chair of the Forum, T S Prakash, who in his address had called for the enhanced use of the Indian rupee in the Sri Lankan economy. It makes no difference to us if India (the Indian rupee) becomes a common currency. We will have to figure out how to go about it. We mu

Foreign Secy arrives in Colombo ahead of Sri Lankan Prez's India visit

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has arrived here on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka to take stock of several Indian projects and make arrangements for Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's upcoming trip to India. Kwatra landed at Bandaranaike International Airport here on Monday night. Officials said Kwatra would assess several Indian projects in multiple sectors which are in the pipeline and prepare the ground for Wickremesinghe's visit to India. Wickremesinghe will embark on a two-day visit to India on July 21 during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials here said on Sunday. They said Wickremesinghe will finalise the implementation of several Indian projects related to power and energy, agriculture, and maritime issues in the island nation ahead of his departure for New Delhi. This will be Wickremesinghe's first visit to India after being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya ...

Sri Lanka default: A bad bank would help the nation fix its finances

Before injecting fresh funds, the govt needs to take non-performing debt related to tourism, real estate and other troubled industries off banks' books

LIVE: Net direct tax collection grows 16% to Rs 4.75 trn, says I-T dept

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe