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India, Sri Lanka agree to revive ETCA talks - Indian envoy
In response to a question about the seriousness of attention on the proposed resumption of talks on the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between India and Sri Lanka, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha affirmed yesterday that, during the visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to New Delhi recently, it was agreed to revive talks with intent to conclude only.
During an interactive session with journalists, he was responding to a question about Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath who remarked at a recent press conference that there was no final agreement on ETCA though it was agreed to continue discussions on it.
The Indian High Commissioner said it is clear that both sides agreed to pursue talks, and that is with a view to conclude it.
“The joint statement is clear. The English language is clear. There was desire to continue with talks. The question whether it will be concluded within a certain timeframe or it will take longer will depend on the eagerness of both sides to do it. Putting a timeline or a deadline with any of these projects is unrealistic,” he said.
He also said that declaration of a timeline on matters of this nature is unrealistic. The High Commissioner also said that the joint statement is very clear in this regard, and if anybody had a different interpretation, he could not help it.
Regarding President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s assertion that Sri Lanka won’t allow its soil to be used against India’s security interests in whatsoever manner, the Indian envoy said his country trusts this assurance.
Delivering opening remarks, he said the last year witnessed the increasing maturity of the India-Sri Lanka relationship.
“The merits of the partnership have bipartisan consensus in both the countries. Across party lines, there is a broad agreement on the fact that a deeper India-Sri Lanka relationship across economic, development, security and cultural domains is in the interest of both our peoples. That is the big win for the relationship over the last year,” he said. He said the joint statement provides a framework to strengthen the comprehensive bilateral partnership across several sectors, and these sectors include Parliamentary Exchanges, Development Cooperation, Debt Restructuring, Energy Cooperation, Trade and Investment Cooperation, Strategic and Defence Engagement, issues related to fishermen, among others. “It is meant to provide guidance for the relationship that is future-oriented and at the same time people-centric. The document also aims to bring together the several ways in which India can support Sri Lanka's economic recovery and have the partnership deliver prosperity for people in both countries. These included continuing deliberations on energy projects like supply of LNG from India to Sri Lanka; High-capacity power grid interconnection; India-Sri Lanka Multi-product pipeline implemented by India, Sri Lanka and UAE; Joint development of offshore wind power potential in Palk Straits, while prioritizing environmental protection, and Development of Trincomalee as a regional energy and industrial hub. It was decided to implement the Sampur Solar project,” he said. “President Dissanayake expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Modi for India's support, especially the unprecedented assistance in the form of nearly US $ 4 billion in various kinds of aid in 2022 and 2023. This was instrumental in stabilizing the situation in Sri Lanka at a critical juncture. India also remains involved in financial stabilization effort for Sri Lanka through its engagement with the IMF, which is undertaking a program for Sri Lanka following the debt restructuring that has been agreed. India as the co-chair of the Official Creditors Committee continues to play an important role in assisting Sri Lanka through this challenging phase. Sri Lanka is also one of the largest development partners and one of the largest recipients of several capacity building initiatives. The visit of President Dissanayake took this very robust partnership even further. President Dissanayake specifically thanked India for its strategic decision to convert loans to grants in order to provide further fiscal headroom to Sri Lanka,” he said.
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