Sri Lanka’s new External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera met his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj to hold bilateral talks in New Delhi on Sunday.
This meeting between the two foreign ministers would be a first high-level discussion since new government was installed in Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Samaraweera arrived in the capital earlier on Saturday. Ahead of his visit, Sri Lanka released 15 Indian fishermen and now no Indian fishermen are in island nation’s custody.
Samaraweera may brief his counterpart on the new regime’s ambitious 100-day program of action; the possible political repercussions of the merger of the Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Sirisena factions of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP); and what the regime proposes to do to implement pending Indian projects and address India’s security concerns arising from some Chinese-aided port development projects, especially the grant of dedicated berths to China at Colombo port.
Particular issues which may come up are the implementation of the long-delayed, India-aided 500 MW power plant at Sampur, and the restarting of talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Samaraweera will draw attention to the fact that the Sirisena government has already taken some steps to address the Tamil issue, which is of vital interest to India. A civilian has been appointed Governor of the Tamil-majority Northern Province. A committee is to go into the return of lands acquired by the military. Orders have been issued to release Tamil detainees held for years without being charged. Restrictions on foreigners wanting to visit North Lanka have been lifted.
Aspects of the 100-day agenda of the Sirisena government which are of interest to India are: the drastic pruning of the gargantuan powers of the Executive Presidency and the re-institution of Independent Commissions to oversee the Executive, Judiciary, Police and the Election Commission.
Samarawera is no stranger to the mandarins of South Block, as he had visited New Delhi as Foreign Minister during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first term as President. And Swaraj had referred to him as a “friend” in a recent tweet congratulating him on his appointment.
President Sirisena told an Indian newspaper earlier this week that “we (Sri Lanka) will revert to the old, non-aligned policy. India is our first, main concern. But we are not against Chinese investment either. We will maintain good relations with China too.”
Sirisena’s India visit is likely to take place in the third week of February.
- ANI/Indian Express
