East Container Terminal
India asks Sri Lanka to adhere to international commitments on terminal issue
New Delhi: India has asked Sri Lanka to adhere to the international commitments following the announcement by the island nation's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa-led government that the East Container Terminal of Colombo port will be a “wholly-owned container terminal of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority”, thus scrapping the agreement it had with India and Japan for its development.
"As is well known, the Governments of India, Sri Lanka and Japan had signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in May 2019 to develop and operate the East Container Terminal of Colombo Port in a trilateral framework. We sincerely believe that the development of infrastructure in Sri Lanka, in areas such as ports and energy, with foreign investment from India and Japan will be a mutually beneficial proposition," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
"Our High Commissioner in Colombo is in discussion with the Government of Sri Lanka, including on the importance of adhering to international commitments," he said.
According to media reports, Mahinda Rajapaksa on Jan 31 had said the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port will not be sold or leased out to any foreign country.
“Of course, the opposition has nothing to blame in this regard. We will not give it to anyone. Not for sale or lease. It is under our control. I think the unions know that too,” he was quoted as saying by Colombo Page.
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