In an interview to The Indian Express, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister G L Peiris, who was in Delhi from February 6-8, said India and Sri Lanka had reached a high point in their relations, and that concerns about the Chinese presence in his country had been “consigned to the past”. Peiris said the fishermen’s issue – Indian fishermen trespassing in Sri Lankan waters and getting arrested – was now a “serious” flashpoint in ties with India. He blamed the Tamil National Alliance for the “hiatus” in the implementation of the 13th Amendment because of its support to the previous Maithripala Sirisena government’s decision to change electoral laws.
We want to take stock of the current situation, consolidate the achievements that have already been made with regard to transforming the character of the relationship, elevating it from a transactional level to strategic partnership.
The main element is a realisation in both countries that closer integration of the economy of India and Sri Lanka is of mutual benefit to both.. For example, ports and harbours are every important for us. We want to develop Colombo and Hambantota as a transshipment hub, digital hub, manufacturing hub and so on.
More than 70 per cent of this is transshipment is from or to India. So, India is pivot and many of the Indian ports are Adani-owned, Adani-connected. The dredging work on the West Container Terminal [of Colombo Port, being developed by India’s Adani group, after Colombo cancelled a previous agreement with India for developing the East Container Terminal, subsequently handed over to China] will begin in the next two or three months and the key player is Adani. There is no doubt that greater connectivity with Indian ports is absolutely essential.
