New SL Kerala consulate pledges to ‘repair ties’ between New Delhi and Colombo
Saturday, 1 February 2014 00:10
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Officials of the new consulate of Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram, to be formally opened next week, believe that it would play a ‘crucial’ role in repairing bilateral ties due to the growing bonhomie between Sri Lanka and China, The Hindu newspaper reported yesterday.
“It will also be a help because India’s hard posture during the recent times on the Tamil issue had caused a dent in bilateral relations with Sri Lanka,” said A. Jayaprakash, Advisor to Sri Lankan Honorary Consul Joemon Joseph whose appointment to the post has received the sanction of President Pranab Mukherjee, the newspaper reported.
Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam had on 29 January handed over the ‘Commission of Appointment’ to Joseph as honorary consul in Thiruvananthapuram.
The consulate is slated to start functioning from the middle of next month.
The Ministry of External Affairs was unaware of the formulation about India-Sri Lanka ties as articulated by Jospeh’s Advisor. The Sri Lankan High Commission, in the midst of quarterbacking their Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris’ ongoing visit to India also does not seem to have been consulted on the issue, The Hindu report said.
Presently, only Russia and the Maldives have consulates in the Kerala capital. Along with Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates that hosts a substantial Malayali diaspora is also slated to open its consulate in Thiruvanthapuram.
“India has been and continues to place utmost importance to its bilateral ties with Sri Lanka and more particularly in view of the growing bonhomie between the latter and China. India’s hard posture during the recent times on the Tamil issue has caused a dent in bilateral relations with Sri Lanka,” said the statement by the official.
