Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris who was on a two-day official visit to New Delhi said that Sri Lanka was looking forward to addressing the Sri Lankan Tamil issues through a new Constitution being drafted by Constitutional experts in the country. Prof. Peiris said any solution to the issue should be implementable on the ground and it will have to be backed by a national consensus.
Prof. Peiris on a visit to India last week, his first for this year, explained to his Indian counterpart Dr. S. Jayashankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Sri Lankan stance on the Tamil issue and on the tussle between Indian and Northern fishers in the Palk Straits.
The problematic situation in the Northern waters of Sri Lanka between the Indian and the Northern fishermen also came up during the talks.
During the talks on the fishermen’s issue both countries reiterated the longstanding consensus to handle fishermen’s issue through a humanitarian approach and to refrain from allowing the situation to aggravate. Both sides agreed to deal with problematic issues along the International Maritime Boundary line (IMBL) through a bilateral mechanism by involving a joint working group on fisheries.
Prof. Peiris’ talks in India also covered bilateral economic cooperation, power and energy cooperation, Trincomalee oil tank farm agreements and on people to people contact.
Prof. Peiris also extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart Dr. S. Jayashankar to visit Sri Lanka.