27-Mar-2022: The Fifth Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries held through virtual mode

The Fifth Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries was held on 25thMarch, 2022 through virtual mode.

The Indian delegation was led by Shri JatindraNath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The other members of the Indian delegation included senior representatives from the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Tamil Nadu, Government of Puducherry, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Ms. R.M.I. Rathnayake, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Government of Sri Lanka. The other members of the Sri Lankan delegation comprised of senior officials from the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Navy, Coast Guard, Sri Lanka Police, Department of the Attorney General and National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency.

The Joint Working Group discussed all relevant issues in detail including the concerns relating to fishermen and fishing boats which have been on the agenda of bilateral discussions between India and Sri Lanka for many years.

Shri JatindraNath Swain observed that the Indian side is always committed to work constructively with the Sri Lankan side towards resolution of issues related to fishermen and their livelihoods in a humanitarian manner. He also took up the issue of early release of Indian fishermen and boats currently in Sri Lankan custody. The Indian side expressed its readiness to work together with Sri Lanka for joint research to enhance the productivity of Palk Bay fisheries.

Both sides also discussed cooperation between Navy & Coast Guard of both countries in patrolling, existing hotline between the Coast Guards and related operational matters including cooperation in tracking poaching, prevention of environmental damage due to bottom trawling, addressing grievances of fishermen on either side, besides issues relating to investigation on recent deaths of fishermen and status of apprehended fishermen and fishing boats.

The Indian side highlighted the initiatives taken by the Central and State Governments to diversify livelihood options and reduce fishing pressure in the Palk Bay. It also informed that infrastructure has been created to facilitate deep-sea fishing and promotion of alternative livelihood through seaweed cultivation, mariculture and several aquaculture activities.

The Sri Lankan side proposed a faster transition to sustainable fishing in the Palk Bay fisheries and also suggested that India can help them develop the aquaculture sector and the associated infrastructure in Northern Sri Lanka.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, with commitment towards continued cooperation and dialogue to solve the fishermen related issues and to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group as per schedule.

It may be recalled that the First Meeting of the Joint Working Group(JWG) was held on 31 December 2016 in New Delhi. The Second Meeting of the JWG was held in Colombo on 7 April 2017.The Third Meeting was held in New Delhi on 13 October 2017 while the Fourth JWG met in virtual mode on 30 December, 2020.

20-Jan-2022: India – Sri Lanka S&T cooperation look towards new areas like waste-water technologies, biotech, sustainable agriculture, big data analytics & artificial intelligence

India and Sri Lanka extended the existing S&T cooperation for 3 more years, with focus on new areas like waste-water technologies, biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence, as well as industrial collaborations at the India-Sri Lanka 5th Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation held on January 20, 2022.

“India and Sri Lanka have a great legacy of intellectual, cultural, and religious interaction and relationship of more than 2500 years old. Trade and investment and cooperation in education and other sectors have gone up in recent times, and in this line, cooperation in S&T becomes very critical,” said Mr. S. K. Varshney, Advisor, and Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, India, who led the delegation from the country and was the Indian co-chair.

“This platform will provide an opportunity for discussing various other facets which are possible for collaboration in the domain of S&T. There are lot of opportunities available for bilateral cooperation. India offers fellowships like India S&T fellowship, e-ITEC and both the countries can work through a number of multilateral platforms like BIMSTEC, which they are part of,” he added.

Mrs. Deepa Liyange, Secretary, State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovations, Sri Lanka, the co-chair from Sri Lanka, reiterated the well-established bilateral relationship between both the countries and welcomed India’s cooperation in S&T sectors and research areas for boosting scientific knowledge in the country.

Mr. Vinod K. Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner from India in Sri Lanka, highlighted that as part of India’s "Neighborhood First" policy which guides the country’s cooperation with Sri Lanka, this meeting would help build on existing collaborative work and help these reach greater heights. He further mentioned that under the e-ITEC program, since April 2020, 550 Sri-Lankan nationals have benefitted from training in various Indian institutions in areas like biotech, medical research, renewable energy, and so on.

“S&T is a key enabler of socio-economic and sustainable development. The tools in science will enable the world in achieving the 2030 agenda of sustainable development, and it is high time we create conducive environment for S&T and innovation. A strong bilateral cooperation is extremely important for a country’s progress, and Sri Lanka looks forward to a fruitful joint cooperation programme,” Mr. Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Deputy High Commissioner from Sri Lanka in India, pointed out.

The delegates exchanged information on the ongoing S&T activities in the two countries. The Indian side presented the overall STI Policy and priority areas by showcasing the core mandates of DST, multi-stakeholder base of DST, India’s recent progress in S&T, as well as focus on securing India’s future in technology through missions like NM-ICPS, NM-QTA, Methanol mission, new initiatives like VAJRA, TARE, Vigyan Jyoti, Accelerate Vigyan. India’s international S&T engagements were also elaborated upon. The Sri-Lankan side also highlighted the scope and status of S&T in their country and its application in various areas of national importance. Organizations like National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India and Industrial Technology Institute, Sri Lanka detailed on activities performed by the respective Scientific Agencies and areas of potential collaboration between both the countries.

The delegates reviewed the ongoing collaborative activities in the 9 areas spanning food technology; plant base medicines; meteorology; space research & applications, robotics & automation; industrial electronics, renewable energy; waste management; information and communication technology and discussed about the future activities.

The board mutually agreed to extend the Programme of Cooperation (POC) for another 3 years between both countries and identified new areas such as like waste-water technologies, industry and biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence to be included in the POC. The need to invite new joint proposals in S&T areas was underlined, and the group recommended conducting more webinars in the wake of the current pandemic situation for enhancing collaborative research and making collaborations stronger.

3-Jun-2021: Assistance to Sri Lanka – Operation Sagar Aaraksha II

Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, has been tirelessly engaged in fighting a major fire onboard the Chemical laden container vessel MV X-Press Pearl anchored off Colombo since 25 May 2021.

The strenuous joint efforts of the ICG ships and Sri Lankan authorities' deployed tugs resulted in extinguishing the fire to enable the salvors to board the derelict on 01 June 2021 for necessary assessment. On 02 June 2021, water ingress started from the right shipside of the vessel, leading to observable change in draught and trim. Attempts to tow the vessel away from coast by tug in vicinity were not fruitful as the derelict sank with its aft portion touching the sea bed. The vessel presently is partially submerged and tilted to one side with its superstructure and forward portion visible. Diving operations are being undertaken by Sri Lanka navy divers to carry out underwater hull inspection of the derelict. Technical deliberations to salvage the vessel is in progress by the salvors.

The vessel when caught with fire was carrying 1486 containers containing chemical cargo classified as International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG). Among other chemicals, the IMDG cargo consisted of highly inflammable Nitric Acid, Methanol, Methyl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide and Polystyrene beads. The fire which initially started onboard on 20 May 2021 while at anchorage, was brought under control by the efforts of Sri Lankan authorities and salvage team. However, on the early morning of 25 May 2021, flames erupted in the ship due to containers fallen onboard in rough weather and ensuing fire due to highly reactive chemicals leaking from containers. All the 13 crew and the 12 salvors working onboard were safely evacuated by the Sri Lankan authorities as the fire quickly spread engulfing the entire ship.

The sinking of the vessel with chemicals and sizable quantity of fuel has led to environmental concerns. Indian Coast Guard ships, including the specialised pollution response vessel Samudra Prahari and offshore patrol vessel Vajra are maintaining in vicinity of the derelict in PR configuration along with Sri Lankan ships and standby to respond to the developing situation. Presently, no oil spill has been reported by the authorities. The ICG Dornier aircraft ex-Madurai has been undertaking daily aerial reconnaissance of the area. Additional pollution response gears are being augmented by the ICG.

The coordinated joint operation between India and Sri Lanka undertaken to respond to potential environmental danger has been christened as Sagar Aaraksha-II. Indian Coast Guard is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Sri Lankan Navy, Coast Guard, MEPA and other authorities to address any impending environmental damage due to the sinking of the vessel close to the coast. Additional ICG formations at Kochi, Chennai and Tuticorin remain standby for immediate assistance if any, towards pollution response. The ICG being an active member of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) remains committed to its responsibility of safeguarding of the ocean environment in the region.

8-Apr-2021: India-Sri Lanka Police Chiefs’ Dialogue (PCD)

The first delegation level virtual Police Chiefs’ Dialogue between the Police Chiefs of India and Sri Lanka was held today in an environment of positivity and trust. The Indian delegation was led by Director, Intelligence Bureau while the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Shri CD Wickramaratne, Inspector General of Police.

While appreciating each other’s ongoing action against the drug traffickers and other organised criminals exploiting the narrow sea route between the two countries, the two sides emphasized the need for sharing of real time intelligence and feedback. Both sides also agreed to work jointly against the terrorist entities including the Global Terrorist Groups and fugitives, wherever they are present and active.

As the way forward, it was decided to strengthen the existing cooperation mechanisms, as also designate ‘nodal points’ for timely and effective handling of existing as well as emerging security challenges.

The institution of Police Chiefs’ Dialogue, assisted by the members of other security agencies on both the sides, will further enhance the existing cooperation between the police forces of both the countries.

12-Feb-2020: Cabinet approves protocol amending DTAA between India and Sri Lanka

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Signing and Ratification of the Protocol amending the Agreement between India and Sri Lanka for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

Impact: Updation of preamble text and inclusion of Principal Purpose Test, a general anti abuse provision in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) will result in curbing of tax planning strategies which exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules.

Details:

1. The existing DTAA between India and Sri Lanka was signed on 22nd January, 2013 and entered into force on 22nd October, 2013.
2. India and Sri Lanka are members of the Inclusive Framework and as such are required to implement the minimum standards under G-20 OECD BEPS Action Reports in respect of their DTAAs with Inclusive Framework countries. Minimum standards under BEPS Action 6 can be met through the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI) or through agreement bilaterally.
3. India is a signatory to the MLI. However, Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the MLI as of now. Therefore, amendment of the India-Sri Lanka DTAA bilaterally is required to update the Preamble and also to insert Principal Purpose Test (PPT) provisions to meet the minimum standards on treaty abuse under Action 6 of G-20 OECD Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project.

Background: The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Sri Lanka was signed on 22nd January, 2013 and entered into force on 22nd October, 2013. India and Sri Lanka are members of the Inclusive Framework and as such are required to implement the minimum standards under G-20 OECD BEPS Action Reports in respect of their DTAAs with Inclusive Framework countries. Minimum standards under BEPS Action 6 can be met through the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI) or through agreement bilaterally. India is a signatory to the MLI.

12-Feb-2020: Highlights of Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa visit to India

Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahendra Rajapaksa paid a 5-day visit to India from February 7-11, 2020 to boost bilateral partnership .This is his 1st official visit abroad after being appointed to the office by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his younger brother.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with his Sri Lanka counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa & they discussed about increasing our people-to-people connectivity, encourage tourism, and improving connectivity. The meet also saw the discussion over ‘Joint Economic Projects’ in Sri Lanka, and on enhancing mutual economic, trade, and investment relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in November 2019 announced a line of credit of $400 million for development projects in Sri Lanka besides granting a separate fund of $50 million to help combat terrorism.

India & Sri Lanka agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, boost trade and investment. Both the sides of India & Sri Lanka have agreed to deepen cooperation to combat terrorism, boost trade and investment ties. India has been a trusted partner in Sri Lanka’s development and will continue to help the country in its peace and development.

The meet also discussed the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation, Sri Lanka & the interest of the entire Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Sri Lankan PM Rajapaksa offers prayers at Tirupati & Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP) at the Lal Bahadur Shastri airport and was given a warm welcome by senior officials and offered prayers at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The Sri Lanka PM then visited the Kaal Bhairav temple to offer prayers. After that, he visited Sarnath Buddhist Temple, 10 kilometers from Varanasi, and paid tributes at the Dhamek Stupa where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to five disciples after attaining enlightenment.

Also Sri Lankan Prime Minister Rajapaksa offered prayers at the famous Lord Venkateshwara temple at nearby Tirumala , Andhra Pradesh (AP).

29-May-2019: Sri Lanka, Japan, India sign deal to develop East Container Terminal at Colombo Port.

Sri Lanka, Japan and India signed an agreement to jointly develop the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port. The joint initiative is estimated to cost between $500 million and $700 million.

The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) is significant, given that the countries had been negotiating the deal since last year, with little success. As per the agreement signed, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) retains 100% ownership of the East Container Terminal (ECT), while the Terminal Operations Company, conducting its operations, is jointly owned.

Sri Lanka will hold a 51 per cent-stake in the project and the joint venture partners will retain 49%.

The ECT is located some 3 km away from the China-backed international financial city, known popularly as “port city”, being built on reclaimed land on Colombo’s sea front.

Japan is likely to provide a 40-year soft loan with a 0.1 percent interest rate. The SLPA described the “envisaged Japanese loan” as “one of the best loan terms Sri Lanka has obtained”.

Details of India’s contribution to the initiative are awaited, but New Delhi’s interest in partnering the project is well known. Over 70 per cent of the transshipment business at the strategically located ECT is linked to India.

However, last year, India’s possible role in developing the terminal had become a major flashpoint within the government. President Maithripala Sirisena had opposed any Indian involvement in the project, as roping in foreign actors for developing “national assets” remains a politically sensitive call in the island, especially among nationalist trade unions. Mr. Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had a heated argument on the matter during a cabinet meeting in October 2018, with the PM apparently more inclined towards allowing Indian participation.

While Japan had been part of negotiations even last year, the project assumed a predominantly ‘Sri Lanka-India’ dimension, especially in the local media. Japan has been a long-standing partner of Sri Lanka, and one of Sri Lanka’s biggest donors in the past decades. Japan also helped develop of the Jaya Container Terminal at the Colombo Port, supporting its operations since the 1980s.

The specific terms of the agreement to jointly develop the ECT will soon be finalised at a joint working group meeting.