Indian High Commissioner holds talks on implementation of India-assisted projects in Sri Lanka

Colombo: The Indian High Commissioner in Colombo and the secretary of newly-elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday reviewed the ongoing India-assisted projects in Sri Lanka and the challenges in implementing them.

The president's office in a statement said Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and President's Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumanayake reviewed the ongoing India-granted projects in the island nation, “with both sides addressing existing challenges and discussing ways to overcome these hurdles”.

They further discussed the projects funded through Indian loans and agreed on the necessity to expedite the remaining work to ensure timely completion.

On the ongoing fishermen issue between the two nations, both parties emphasised the need for a long-term solution to address the concerns of both Indian and Lankan fishermen.

The fishermen issue is a contentious topic in the 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. Sri Lanka claims a similar attitude by Indian authorities.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries, who are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.

Jha earlier this month called on Dissanayake here and conveyed to him India's wish to see Sri Lanka emerge as a “peaceful and stable state in the region”.

This was the high commissioner's second meeting with Dissanayake since he assumed office in September.

Jha was the first foreign diplomat to meet Dissanayake on September 23, hours after he won and became President-elect.