India, Lanka to find 'innovative' solution to fishermen issue

India and Sri Lanka on Friday agreed to find an ‘innovative and lasting solution’ to the fishermen issue, a major irritant in the bilateral ties, as the foreign ministers of the two countries reviewed the progress made in various sectors like defence, aviation and trade.

The two countries also signed memoranda of understanding in education and health sectors after visiting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera co-chaired the 9th Indo-Lanka Joint Commission meeting in Colombo.

The two sides also agreed that Sri Lankan fisheries minister Mahinda Amaraweera would travel to India to hold talks to resolve the fishermen issue.

“There was an agreement that we need to find an innovative and lasting solution to this issue,” said External Affairs Ministry Joint Secretary Renu Pall.

“The fishermen issue was discussed by the two ministers. They talked about the intricacies involved,” she said.

India has invited Sri Lankan fisheries minister to visit the country and Colombo has accepted the invitation, officials said.

The fishermen issue continues to be a major irritant in the Indo-Lanka ties. Sri Lanka accuses Indian fishermen of straying into its territorial waters, while the latter maintain they are only fishing in their traditional areas, especially around Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Colombo in 1974.

Though the fishermen’s associations of the two sides are in regular touch with each other, they have not been able to reach a mutually-acceptable solution to end this problem.

India maintains that the fishermen issue has a socio-economic dimensions, livelihood and humanitarian dimension and wants a long term solution to the problem.

The Joint Commission meeting which lasted for more than two hours discussed issues such as economic cooperation, trade, power and energy, technical and maritime cooperation, social, cultural and educational matters, science and technology, defence cooperation, health, civil aviation, tourism and people-to-people contact.

Under the MoUs that were signed on Friday, India would help Sri Lanka in renovating 27 schools in the Northern Province. The second MoU is on building a surgical ward and supplying medical equipment to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital in the East.

Sri Lanka also proposed partnership in setting up Special Economic Zone in Trincomalee and increase cooperation in the aviation sector.

Swaraj and Samaraweera also agreed to take forward the revised bilateral air services agreement.

The two sides also discussed plans to enhance cooperation in aeronautical research and use of Indian satellite system ‘Gagan’ by Sri Lanka, officials said.

“The joint commission has acknowledged the depth and intensity and uniqueness of this relationship,” they said.

The two ministers took stock of preparation underway on agreement in economy and technology cooperation. The preliminary exchanges in this regard were held in December when the commerce secretary of two countries met in New Delhi.

India will organise a workshop here later this month on this subject.

The two ministers also took recognisance of the reconstitution of the chief executive officers forum which is currently underway in both the nations.

“They spoke about various projects which have been under discussion for sometime, including the upgradation of Palalli airport and about infrastructure development at Kankesanthuri port where four phases have been completed. Rail India Technical and Economic Service will send a delegation soon to take it further,” they said.

The officials also informed that Sampur power plant has got environment clearance. The project to construct two power plants with 250 mw capacity was long overdue.

On tourism, the officials said the second meeting of joint working group on tourism will be held in mid 2016 to take forward the collaboration on development of Ramayana circuit in Lanka and extension of Buddhist circuit in India.

Sri Lanka also proposed on cooperation on oil tanks farm in Trincomalee. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and the ministry of oil and petroleum will send a delegation in Colombo in this regard.

The two sides also discussed cooperation in energy, railways, education, agriculture, defence, counter terrorism, health care and traditional marketing medicines.

On housing project, the officials said 44,000 houses in North have been completed and work on 4,000 will start soon.

Noting that Lanka has sought more seats for its medical students in Indian universities, they said the joint commission also discussed the potential of private universities opening their campus in Lanka.

The Joint Commission was set up in 1992 as a mechanism to address issues of bilateral cooperation. The last meeting of the Joint Commission was held in New Delhi in January, 2013.

Swaraj, who is here on a two-day visit, was earlier received by Samaraweera at the airport.

She will call on President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday and former president Chandrika Kumaratunga besides meeting other top leaders.

India-Sri Lanka relations had seen lows during last few years of the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was voted out of power, even as China had expanded its footprint in the country by building ports, highways and participating in other infrastructure projects.

The ties gained momentum after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka in March last year, the first bilateral tour by an Indian premier in over 25 years.

Swaraj had visited Sri Lanka in March 2015.

Swaraj and Sirisena also launched a 30-minute documentary based on Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.

‘An emotional connect. EAM & Prez @MaithripalaS launch 'Echoing Hills', a film on Indian origin Tamils in Sri Lanka,’ external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

The documentary, Echoing Hills is on the history of the Indian-origin plantation Tamils.

The documentary film depicts the story of the indentured labour brought to Sri Lanka by the British in the 1800s and their current status. It was only in 2001, all those Indian Tamils resident in Sri Lanka were granted full citizenship, The Island newspaper reported.

Swaraj will inaugurate a ‘Rise of Digital’ India exhibition tomorrow as part of Sangam festival of India in Sri Lanka 2015-2016.