Sri Lanka bars foreign research vessels for year

New Delhi, January 1

Pressured by India and China, Sri Lanka has taken the safer option of putting a one-year moratorium on foreign vessels conducting research in its territorial waters.

The immediate fallout should be denial to a Chinese request to Sri Lanka for refuelling facilities for its ‘research survey vessel’ from January 5 to the end of May. The government has taken such a decision and communicated it to the relevant countries. The decision has been taken in the wake of China seeking permission to berth yet another research vessel in Sri Lanka’s waters in January, reported the local media.

Against vehement Indian objections, the Chinese ‘survey vessel’ Shi Yan 6 had docked at Colombo port in October last year and carried out research activities in the Indian Ocean in association with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). “That is for us to do some capacity development so that we can participate in such research activities as equal partners,” Sri Lanka foreign minister Ali Sabry told Sri Lanka newspaper ‘Daily Mirror’ while announcing a 12-month moratorium on research vessels from any country starting from January 1. — TNS

China had sought permission

The decision has been taken in the wake of China seeking permission to berth yet another research vessel in Sri Lanka’s waters in January, reported local media.

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