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Talks with India vital for building trust on Chinese presence in Lanka: SL envoy

Published

3 years ago

2021/12/31

Ahmedabad, Dec 29 (PTI) Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Asoka Milinda Moragoda on Wednesday said dialogue with New Delhi was important for the development of trust and understanding between the two countries on the Chinese presence in the island nation.

He said the two countries are trying to develop an understanding to the extent of having “red lines that the two sides will not cross”.

China does not have any security presence in Sri Lanka, and India has never told the island nation not to accept Chinese investment, he further said.

“Of course, given the nature of the power play in this region, Chinese presence can be looked at differently. In that context, I think our dialogue with India is what is important – to build trust and to understand each other. And, maybe, have some sort of red lines which both sides will not cross,” Moragona said through video link during an interactive session organised by Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University.

“Those understandings are what we are trying to develop. I think as long as that is there, we should be able to move forward, because nobody has told us, definitely India has not, not to accept Chinese investment. China is one of the biggest investors in the world today. But as long as the investment does not create any strategic issue in India, we should be able to entertain that investment,” he said.

The envoy said better, transparent and candid dialogue between India and Sri Lanka will create less chances of misunderstanding.

In what was seen as a big jolt to New Delhi’s investment plans in Sri Lanka, the Rajapaksa government had unilaterally reneged on a tripartite deal with India and Japan to build a strategic deep-sea container port.

Sri Lanka, which had agreed in 2019 to develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo port with India and Japan, scrapped the deal and termed the ECT “a wholly-owned container terminal of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.” Colombo said it would instead develop the port’s West Container Terminal (WCT) with investment from India and Japan. Much to India’s displeasure, China in November clinched the contract to develop ECT.

Moragoda said the development of Colombo port by a Chinese company is “a commercial proposition of investment,” even as 70 per cent of the 80 per cent of cargo coming to Sri Lanka being transshipped goes to India, adding that “in the economic sense, our basic business model is supply in India through trans-shipment”.

Sri Lanka’s main focus remains on how to get its economy right, and the visit of a delegation led by its Foreign Minister Basil Rajapaksa to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January will be to facilitate Indian investments in the island nation, he said.

He said that India has a crucial role to play in helping Sri Lanka get its economy right.

Sri Lanka Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, in New Delhi on a two-day visit, called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar where they discussed the four pillars of involvement potential for India to help Sri Lanka out of its economic crisis, the fourth one related to increasing Indian investment in different sectors in Sri Lanka, Moragoda said.

“In that context, on January 9, our Finance Minister Rajapasksa will be traveling to Gujarat for the Vibrant Gujarat (Global Summit) meeting, where we are having a private sector delegation going out there as well. We will also have tourism presence from Sri Lanka. And that will be the beginning of the activation of the fourth pillar to try to encourage investment to come in,” he said in a reply to a query.

The 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be organised between January 10-12.

In a short address to the gathering on the issue of ‘Sri Lanka-India Relations: Way Forward’, Moragoda said, as far as economic relationship is concerned, his country is looking at ways to improve connections in infrastructure-related industry, more specifically ports.

The country is also looking at the energy sector, with a focus on sustainable energy, as some of its regions has a potential to produce up to 5,000 MW of renewable energy, he said.

The two countries also have possibilities in the petroleum sector, he added.

Tourism is a sector to help the country’s economy, and Indian tourism becomes important in this context, he said.

“Pre-COVID (pandemic), India accounted for 20-25 per cent of tourists coming to Sri Lanka. India is a main market …From Sri lanka, we have pilgrims who go out to Buddhist sites, we are looking at how we can broaden that, not only focusing on Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, but also other states like Odisha…We have also been looking at Gujarat,” he said.

Moragoda also emphasized the need for people-to-people and cultural relations, because the two countries come from “the same gene pool.” The need for exchange of students between the two countries will help build confidence, he said, adding that his country was working with Kerala for such exchange programmes.

He pointed out that Sri Lankan students are the single largest recipient of scholarships from India for military training institutes.

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Second lot of luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat sold

Published

2 hours ago

2025/05/15

Priyan

The second phase of the auction to sell luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat was successfully concluded today (15 May), with the auction taking place as scheduled.

A total of 26 vehicles, previously allocated to former Ministers and the former President, to their advisors and staff appointed under Article 41(1) of the Constitution during their tenure, were listed for sale. Out of these, 17 vehicles were successfully sold today.

The auctioned vehicles included:

1 BMW car
2 Ford Everest SUVs
1 Hyundai Terracan SUV
2 Land Rover SUVs
1 Mitsubishi Montero
3 Nissan Patrol vehicles
2 Nissan brand cars
1 Porsche Cayenne
5 SsangYong Rexton SUVs
1 Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara
6 V8 vehicles
1 Mitsubishi Rosa air-conditioned bus

With the aim of reducing government expenditure and promoting fiscal responsibility, a decision was taken to auction the vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat.

There was a high demand for the purchase of these vehicles and over Rs. 200 million in revenue was generated through their sale at the auction held today.

There was significant interest in the auction, with 108 bidders participating.

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President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions

Published

3 hours ago

2025/05/15

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Disanayake has approved the establishment of dedicated anti-corruption investigation units within provincial councils and local government institutions, aiming to combat corruption and administrative inefficiencies. The decision follows a request by provincial governors during a high-level discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (15).

During the meeting, President Disanayake emphasised that provincial governors bear the primary responsibility for driving development initiatives and ensuring accountability within their respective provinces. He noted, “Strengthening governance mechanisms is critical to addressing systemic challenges and achieving equitable progress.”

Among the key decisions taken was the creation of anti-corruption investigation units modelled after similar bodies operating at the ministerial level. These units will be tasked with monitoring financial transactions, investigating irregularities and enforcing transparency in development projects. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader agenda to eliminate malpractice in public institutions.

The discussion also highlighted that provincial councils have received three times the financial allocations compared to the previous fiscal year. However, governors raised concerns regarding delays and bureaucratic hurdles in utilising these funds effectively. In response, President Disanayake directed officials to streamline procedures and adopt results-oriented mechanisms to accelerate infrastructure development.

Persistent obstacles in upgrading provincial infrastructure such as road networks, healthcare facilities and utility services, were also discussed. The President pledged to implement practical solutions to address these challenges and urged governors to prioritise projects that deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The Governors further stressed the need for improved coordination between provincial councils and central ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. Acknowledging these concerns, President Disanayake underlined the importance of collaborative governance to ensure efficient resource allocation.

“While increased funding is a positive step, its prudent management is non-negotiable. Provincial authorities must ensure every rupee is accounted for and spent efficiently,” he asserted.

The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Provincial Governors: Hanif Yusuf (Western Province), Sarath Bandara Samarasinghe Abayakon (Central Province), Bandula Harischandra (Southern Province), Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya (North Western Province), Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri (North Central Province), Nagalingam Vedanayagam (Northern Province), Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera (Eastern Province), Champa Janaki Rajaratne (Sabaragamuwa Province) and Kapila Jayasekara (Uva Province).

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Seven new envoys to Sri Lanka present credentials to the President

Published

3 hours ago

2025/05/15

Priyan

Seven newly appointed foreign ambassadors to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to President Anura Kumara Disanayake today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The new ambassadors represent the State of Israel, the Argentine Republic, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Kingdom of Denmark.

Accordingly:

* Mr. Mariano Agustin Caucino has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Argentine Republic, based in New Delhi.
* Ms. Stella Nkomo has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Zimbabwe, based in New Delhi.
* Mr. Reuven Javier Azar has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the State of Israel, based in New Delhi.
* Ms. Nina P. Cringlet has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of the Philippines, based in Dhaka.
* Mr. Lukmon Bobokalonzoda has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Tajikistan, based in New Delhi.
* Ms. Rath Many has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, based in New Delhi.
* Mr. Rasmus Kristensen has been appointed as the Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Denmark, based in New Delhi.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, were also present at the occasion.