NEW DELHI, Dec 10: India and Sri Lanka have agreed to find solutions to existing fisheries problems through developed bilateral processes, including the India-Sri Lanka Ministerial Joint Fisheries Working Group.
Gopal Bagley, the Indian High Commissioner met Dinesh Gunawardena, the Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Douglas Devananda, the Fisheries Minister and discussed issues of mutual interests concentrating primarily on the topic of Palk Strait fisheries and future probable Covid-19 cooperation.
Bagley thanked the Sri Lankan government for organizing the 4th National Security Advisors (NSA) level Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Security in Colombo during the end of November.
The High Commissioner reacted positively to the request from the government to arrange for the repatriation of 1500 Sri Lankans most of whom had been, stuck in South India as a result of the COVID19 pandemic and the subsequent travel restrictions. It was, also agreed both the governments will manage this across diplomatic channels. The High Commissioner expressed faith that relations between India and Sri Lanka will scale newer heights in the coming years.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka in a statement has announced that it has agreed to find solutions to emerging fisheries problems through developed bilateral structures, including the Indian-Sri Lanka Ministerial joint Fisheries Working group. The fourth Meeting of the Bilateral Working Group on Fisheries, planned during January, was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic. Both sides decided to convene a Working Group meeting at the earliest opportunity, while assurances were issued that the normal protocols for dealing with the mid-sea meeting would be maintained.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the entire range of areas in bilateral cooperation, including the ongoing development assistance and Covid-19 pandemic joint action. Both the Ministers thanked India for the assistance given to construct the Jaffna Cultural Centre, which is expected to become functional soon and decided to resume the stalled discussion through collaboration.
(Venkatesh Iyer)