India to develop KKS harbour, coordinate naval patrols

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 June 2007, 18:48 GMT]
The Indian Government is to resume expansion of the Kankesanthurai harbour in the Jaffna peninsula following the Sri Lankan government informing Delhi that the security situation in the area had “improved considerably,” press reports said Monday. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told the Indian government that the development of the harbour to its full potential will facilitate the transport of supplies to the Jaffna Peninsula, including directly from India. The move comes as Sri Lanka announced ‘coordinate naval patrolling’ with India’s navy. Mr. Bogollagama also met recently with Britain’s Minister for Armed Forces, Adam Ingram, the reports said.



India had said it would continue to strengthen Sri Lanka’s air defence capability and expressed readiness to accede to the island’s request to conduct coordinated patrols of the maritime boundary between two countries’ in the Palk Straits, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying Sunday.

“Modalities for this deployment will be worked out between the two sides,” the Ministry said.

The agreements on coordinated patrolling and expansion of the KKS harbour were announced following a meeting between Mr. Bogollagama and Indian Defence Minister A.K. Anthony on the sidelines of the 6th Annual IISS Asian Security Summit in Singapore.

Mr. Bogollagama had also met Mr. Ingram the Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said.

Mr. Ingram had appreciated the efforts being made by the Government to counter the terrorist threat posed by the LTTE, it said.

Referring to the recent British House of Commons debate on Sri Lanka, Minister Bogollagama told the British Minister that regrettably many who spoke failed to appreciate the complexities of the Sri Lankan situation and that it had not been taken cognizance of by most Members. Minister Ingram said he would personally appraise Members of Sri Lanka’s perspective on the issue, and urged that the Sri Lankan Government did so as well.