Shringla to raise northern Sri Lanka issue in crucial talks

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla, who is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka from October 2, was to hold meetings with the Sri Lankan government and other key leaders on Monday. Shringla is expected to raise concerns about the reconciliation process and promise of transference of power to northern Sri Lanka, which have remained unfulfilled more than a decade after the end of the war on the LTTE in 2009

New Delhi: India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla's visit to Sri Lanka assumes significance as it aims to improve strained bilateral ties between New Delhi and Colombo. Shringla, who is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka from October 2, was to hold meetings with the Sri Lankan government and other key leaders on Monday.

During his meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda, the Foreign and Finance Ministers and his counterpart, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage, Shringla is expected to raise concerns about the reconciliation process and promise of transference of power to northern Sri Lanka, which have remained unfulfilled more than a decade after the end of the war on the LTTE in 2009.

Shringla’s visit is also seen as a signal of India’s keenness to reach out to Sri Lanka to bolster ties in the face of the growing ties between the island nation and China. The main purpose of his visit is to take stock of every developmental project in Sri Lanka that India has funded, assess the reason for its delay and Lanka’s need for economic assistance. During his stay, Shringla is also likely to discuss the issue of expanding the Colombo Security Conclave, which will be a follow up of what was discussed at the last meeting of the CSC.

New Delhi has been concerned about the fact that Indian projects have taken a long time to be clear, while China-funded projects have been cleared even before the pandemic. On Sunday, Shringla visited the iconic Jaffna Cultural Centre built with Indian grant assistance. The iconic, state of the art cultural centre will help people of Northern Province reconnect with their roots and in nurturing shared cultural heritage.

On the same day, Shringla toured the oil tank farms at Trincomalee, where he was briefed about the development undertaken at the Lower Tank Farms and the possibilities for further strengthening the India-Sri Lanka energy partnership to enhance Sri Lanka’s energy security.

Jaffna and Trincomalee are two cities in Sri Lanka where mostly Tamil minorities mainly live. Sri Lanka occupies a central place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Foreign Secretary’s visit signifies the importance both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest, earlier said the MEA.

The visit of the Foreign Secretary will provide an opportunity to review the bilateral ties, the progress of ongoing bilateral projects and ongoing cooperation to tackle Covid related disruptions, it added.