Economic agreement will benefit both India and Sri Lanka: Sinha

India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Y.K. Sinha says that the economic agreement between two countries will benefit both countries and not just one.

Speaking to media after meeting with the Chief Prelates of Malwathu and Asgiri chapters in Kandy the High Commissioner said the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) will benefit both countries.

The High Commissioner visited the Asgiri Maha Viharaya in Kandy to express condolences over the recent demise of the Chief Prelate of Asgiri Chapter Most Venerable Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera.

He said the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement was proposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when he visited India in September last year.

“Since then our officials have met and now we have got a draft of a framework, which is an outline of that agreement from Sri Lanka. Our authorities in India are studying it and we will give our response,” Sinha said. He added that the negotiations have not yet started and it is just at the initial steps.

“We look forward to working very closely with Sri Lanka to ensure that any agreement that is agreed will benefit all the people of both countries,” the envoy said.

On the subject of the ambulance service in Sri Lanka with Indian assistance, the High Commissioner said the Indian-sponsored Ambulance service will mostly employ Sri Lankans except for a few members of administrative staff.

Sinha said the Indian ambulance service plans to employ 600 Sri Lankans, who will be trained at the headquarters of the parent company in Hyderabad, India. He said the drivers, nurses and paramedical staff will all be Sri Lankan recruits. They will run the ambulance service and only a very few Indians will be there to supervise and run the control center. He said the most operations at the control center are computerised.

The envoy said India has pledged US$ 7.5 million to set up the service in the Western and Southern Province under the first phase of the program.

Recalling that the Indian Government has spent Rs. 2.6 billion for several development projects in Sri Lanka, Sinha said that as a neighboring country India always expects the development of Sri Lanka and it would give all support in that regard.