No agreement harmful to SL signed in India – Herath

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The NPP government will not enter into any agreement that is detrimental to Sri Lanka’s economic development, and it will only sign agreements that provide mutual economic benefits, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath says.

Addressing a media briefing at the Government Information Department, yesterday, Minister Herath said Sri Lanka and India had not agreed to lay an oil pipeline between the two countries or connect their national electricity grids during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to India.

No new agreements had been signed, Minister Herath said, adding that only a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed to avoid double taxation and train Sri Lankan civil administrators in India.

“There are many proposed and ongoing Indian power and energy projects in Sri Lanka, but some of these face technical challenges. Under the previous administration, the Ceylon Electricity Board and an Indian company signed an agreement to implement the Sampur solar power project. During the visit, we agreed that this project should proceed,” Herath said, noting that discussions would continue on procuring liquefied natural gas from India and advancing joint wind power projects. He stressed the importance of promoting solar and wind energy projects, adding that Sri Lanka must export surplus electricity.

“To export energy, we must collaborate closely with India. We plan to do so within the framework established by the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). We have agreed to base discussions on this,” he explained.

The government has also agreed to further discussions among India, Sri Lanka, and the UAE on implementing a multi-product pipeline from India to Sri Lanka to ensure the supply of affordable and reliable energy.

“We have not agreed to construct any pipeline. There is a proposal in place, and we have only agreed to participate in discussions. Additionally, we have agreed to continue talks on the joint development of offshore wind power potential in the Palk Strait, with a focus on environmental protection, including the preservation of flora and fauna,” he said.

Herath also mentioned that during Udaya Gammanpila’s tenure as Minister of Power and Energy, Sri Lanka and India agreed to develop 61 oil tanks at the Trincomalee tank farm. Currently, Sri Lanka operates 24 tanks, while 15 are managed by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

“When Gammanpila was the Minister, Sri Lanka agreed to jointly develop the remaining 61 tanks. We have agreed to continue discussions on renovating these tanks,” he said.

The Foreign Minister emphasised that the government had not agreed to sign the Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA). “We will not sign any agreement that hinders our economic development. Agreements will only be signed if they provide economic benefits to both parties,” he asserted.

He added that an early finalisation of the proposed bilateral Social Security Agreement between the two countries was also agreed upon. “Many Indians work here, and many Sri Lankans work in India. We aim to ensure that these individuals have access to their legitimate labour and social rights. This is not a security agreement in a military sense,” he clarified.