Delhi, Colombo eye permanent solution

Friday, 17 January 2014 00:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

NIE: Following his meeting with his Indian counterpart, Sri Lanka fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne on Wednesday reaffirmed that all fishermen from both sides will be released at the earliest, with a six-member panel of officials set up to go through the 2008 draft pact to devise a “permanent solution”.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senaratne had a one-hour-long meeting with Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. Earlier in the morning, he had also met with External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid. “We agreed to release all the fishermen and the vessels from both sides starting tomorrow evening,” the Sri Lankan minister told reporters after the meeting. Earlier on Monday, 52 fishermen had been released on both sides to create the proper atmospherics before the meeting of fishermen on 20 January in Chennai. Senaratne said instructions have been sent to his officials to start release of all 236 Indian fishermen by Thursday. He said that the fishermen dialogue will be held but before that, both sides “have to sort out the problem of fishermen who are in prisons has to be released”. A crucial decision was also taken to expedite discussions on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on development and cooperation in the field of fisheries, by setting up a joint six-member panel. “In 2008 the Indian Government has given a draft memorandum to sort out the fishermen problem paving way for long term. We have agreed in principle, to go ahead with those suggestions but there are certain problems to be sorted out, so we have formed a committee which comprise of six members,” he said. “The committee will meet in New Delhi on Thursday at 12 noon,” Senaratne said. He also denied that the Sri Lankan Navy was firing upon Indian fishermen.