Sri Lanka permits 12 foreign vessels this year despite research vessel ban; No Chinese ships docked

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

Sri Lanka has granted security clearance for at least 12 foreign vessels to dock at its ports this year, despite imposing restrictions on foreign vessels, the Daily Mirror learns.   Starting January 1, 2024, Sri Lanka imposed a one-year moratorium on foreign research vessels docking in the country due to security concerns from India and the US, particularly related to frequent docking requests from advanced Chinese surveillance vessels.  

So far, Sri Lanka has permitted 12 foreign vessels to dock, with the latest being the Indian Naval Submarine (INS) Shalki, which arrived at the Port of Colombo on August 2.  

No Chinese vessel has visited Sri Lanka this year, following two Chinese vessels arriving in 2023.  

The Ministry of Defence said 32 foreign vessels were granted clearance to dock in Sri Lanka last year before the ban.  

This included a dozen vessels from India, five from the US, and three each from Japan and Indonesia.  

In addition, two vessels each from France, China, and Pakistan, and three from Algeria, the UK and South Korea visited Sri Lankan ports between January 1 and December 31, 2023.  
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry recently announced that Sri Lanka will resume permitting calls from foreign research vessels next year.  

He emphasised that Sri Lanka cannot impose different rules for different countries and will not take sides in international disputes. The moratorium is set to end in January 2025, lifting the current ban on foreign research vessels.