Sri Lanka has said the 275 Indian fishermen in its custody will be released only after India released all its fishermen, including 34 in Andhra Pradesh just a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced that Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan jails would be released starting Monday.
Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne said on Sunday, “Our Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris is talking to India regarding the release of our fishermen in Andhra Pradesh. Once all our fishermen – 179 in Tamil Nadu and 34 in Andhra Pradesh are released, we will release all the 275 Indian fishermen immediately.”
According to Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry officials Prof. Peiris is scheduled to visit India later this month. He will meet with New Delhi-based Ambassadors with accreditation to Sri Lanka. Official said that he will meet with the top leadership in India during the visit.
The fisheries conflict has in recent months figured high on the agenda of India – Sri Lanka bilateral ties.
Notify that nearly 600 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of engaging in illegal fishing activity in 2013.
Senaratne said. “But we asked them to release our fishermen even before Christmas and there was no response” while citing the statement of Jayalalithaa that the Indian fishermen, who are mostly from Tamil Nadu, would be released from January 13 over at the beginning of Pongal festivities.
Senaratne will be in New Delhi for a meeting with Union Minister Sharad Pawar later this week.
The meeting has been scheduled for January 15.
Following this Ministerial-level meeting, the much-anticipated talks between fishermen of both countries will be held in New Delhi at which it is hoped the two sides will be able to arrive at an amicable solution on sharing the resources of the Palk Bay.
Meanwhile fishermen especially the Tamil-speaking fishermen in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province said they hoped some progress is made this time however several rounds of talks held earlier proving futile.
Bureau Report
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