Thursday, 30 January 2014 00:02
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India’s foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, met his Sri Lankan counterpart, G. L. Peiris, on Wednesday (January 29) to hold discussions on several key issues and to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Peiris arrived in New Delhi on three-day official visit to the nation.
Khurshid and Peiris are expected to discuss fishermen and human rights issues ahead of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva.
Earlier on Monday (January 27), provincial government in India’s southern Tamil Nadu province held talks with Sri Lankan delegates to sort out various issues related to fishermen of both the countries, including traditional rights for fishing in the Palk Strait. The Sri Lankan Foreign minister will also call on envoys of other countries based in New Delhi.
India and Sri Lanka are often embroiled in such situations where both parties claim to have arrested fishermen for wandering away and crossing international water boundaries.
Fishermen in Tamil Nadu have been constantly fighting to demand safety from the government.
Meanwhile, on January 15, Sri Lanka and India had exchanged detained fishermen during which 52 Sri Lankan fishermen were handed over and now 151 fishermen remained with India.
As per the claims made by Fishermen’s Association, Sri Lankan Navy had detained 210 fishermen along with 72 mechanised boats.
