Indo-Sri Lanka relationship a win-win situation

Calling India’s relationship with Sri Lanka a ‘win-win situation’ for both countries, India said that they are not worried about the growing Chinese engagement in Sri Lanka.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said that India’s mega projects, are especially focused on the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, were progressing ahead of schedule, and working on the next phase of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

“As far as we see our relationship with Sri Lanka, we do not see it in competitive terms. We see it as a win-win situation both for India and Sri Lanka, and we are quite comfortable with that situation,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.

Akbaruddin said India’s flagship project of building 50,000 houses for the internally displaced Tamil people in Sri Lanka’s conflict, affected North and East, and the project to construct the rail lines in the North are well ahead of schedule.

In phase one, of the housing projects India constructed 1,000 houses and handed them over to the beneficiaries and the phase two of the project is to construct 43,000 units and is progressing ahead of schedule.

Akbaruddin also said that the project to re-build the two railways lines to Kankasanthurai and Thalaimannar with an India-provided US$ 800 million line of credit is also ahead of schedule.

India expects to complete the two projects well ahead of schedule, by the end of the year, the spokesperson added. Responding to queries on China’s engagement with Sri Lanka, the Ministry Spokesperson noted that India is the largest trade partner and the largest investor in Sri Lanka, while large amounts of Sri Lankan investments are sent to India.

He further pointed out that India is also the destination of the largest number of Sri Lankan tourists, travelling outside Sri Lanka and a large number of Indians’ visiting Sri Lanka.

Regarding the 19 Indian fishermen jailed in Sri Lanka, Akbaruddin said India is in active touch with Colombo, and hopes that the matter will be resolved amicably, as with all other fishermen who have from time to time strayed into Sri Lankan waters.