Disclosure of SL-India defence MoU requires Indian consent: Govt.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday said Sri Lanka cannot unilaterally disclose the full contents of the recent Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with India without mutual agreement.

In response to queries posed at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, he clarified that while the Government is committed to transparency, certain clauses within the MoU require bilateral consensus before public disclosure.

“On some contents, we need mutual agreement to disclose the information,” he said, adding that the details of these agreements will be released in due course, similar to the Karainagar boat yard agreement.

The MoU signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit in earlier this month has attracted public and political attention, especially amid ongoing Indian pressure to restrict access for Chinese research vessels in Sri Lankan waters. India has cited national security concerns in the Indian Ocean region as justification for such requests.

Dr. Jayatissa stressed that the pact is currently in the form of a MoU and not a legally binding treaty—assuring that the Government intends to present the agreement to the Parliament in due course.

For those seeking more immediate access to the details, the Cabinet Spokesman suggested that the information could potentially be requested through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, in accordance with applicable regulations and bilateral sensitivities.

Defending the Government’s approach, Dr. Jayatissa noted that the MoU was the result of extensive inter-agency consultations.

“These are not decisions taken by politicians collectively. Respective Ministries, Attorney General’s Department and all related institutions were consulted and discussed at length for months. Based on consensus after all the discussions only, the two Governments arrived at these MoUs,” he explained.

Cabinet Spokesman also noted that mechanisms would need to be set up to implement the agreements, adding that the Government was proceeding responsibly and strategically.

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