{"id":74506,"date":"2021-10-05T00:47:45","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T05:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=74506"},"modified":"2021-10-06T00:48:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T05:48:48","slug":"there-is-an-urgent-need-to-understand-the-weaknesses-and-strengths-of-the-13th-amendment-to-the-sri-lankan-constitution-and-act-accordingly-pre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=74506","title":{"rendered":"There is an \u201curgent need\u201d to understand the \u201cweaknesses and strengths\u201d of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution and \u201cact accordingly\u201d, – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Tells Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla; expresses desire to revive the spirit of Indo-Lanka relations of the 1960s and 1970s."},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/p>\n

Meera Srinivasan<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is an \u201curgent need\u201d to understand the \u201cweaknesses and strengths\u201d of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution and \u201cact accordingly\u201d, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday told Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while expressing a desire to revive the spirit of the relations of the 1960s and 1970s.<\/p>\n

Mr. Shringla called on the President on Tuesday morning, before wrapping up his official visit. In addition to underscoring the need to expedite bilateral projects, the Foreign Secretary, in his meeting with President Rajapaksa on the final day of his visit, reiterated India\u2019s position \u201con complete implementation of the provisions under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, including devolution of powers and the holding of provincial council elections at the earliest\u201d, the Indian mission said in a statement, referring to the nearly 34-year-old legislation that remains contentious in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Both countries agreed on the need for \u201cshort-term and long-term steps\u201d to take relations to \u201ca higher level\u201d, the President\u2019s office said adding that President Rajapaksa is expecting India\u2019s support in advancing the 1971 proposal made by then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to declare the Indian Ocean a peace zone.<\/p>\n

According to official sources in Colombo familiar with the Foreign Secretary\u2019s discussions over the last few days, the Indian official had raised concern over maritime security in the region, particularly in the wake of Sri Lankan authorities recently apprehending massive hauls of narcotics that India suspects came from a \u201cregional drug mafia\u201d. \u201cAny threat to Sri Lanka\u2019s peace and security is a threat to the region and Sri Lanka must not become a conduit,\u201d the Indian side is said to have conveyed.<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s remarks on elevating ties come after considerable strain in relations over Colombo\u2019s unilateral move earlier this year, cancelling a trilateral Port terminal project agreement signed with India and Japan in 2019; and New Delhi\u2019s persisting concern over the \u201cslow pace\u201d of India-backed development projects amid China\u2019s increasing presence in Sri Lanka\u2019s economic and developmental spheres.<\/p>\n

However, last week, the Adani Group obtained 51% stake in a deal signed with Sri Lanka\u2019s John Keells Holdings and the Sri Lanka Port Authority, to jointly develop the West Container Terminal at the Colombo Port, offered as a \u201ccompromise\u201d to India.<\/p>\n

According to official sources, both sides identified areas of greater collaboration in the energy sector. The development of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm at the eastern tip of the island nation was a key point of discussion, sources indicated, with Colombo expressing willingness to iron out differences. The statement from President Rajapaksa\u2019s office said the Minister of Energy has been \u201centrusted with the task of resolving the situation\u201d regarding the Trincomalee oil tanks in a manner that is \u201cbeneficial to both countries\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe subject Minister is likely to travel to New Delhi soon,\u201d an official source said, requesting anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing negotiations. India has been linked to the project for over three decades now, but the proposal for India and Sri Lanka to jointly refurbish and commission the World War II-era oil storage facility has only hit roadblocks, with worker unions and nationalist groups periodically opposing any Indian involvement in a strategic national asset.<\/p>\n

To keep the conversation going and firm up proposals, New Delhi will likely host at least four top Ministers from Colombo soon, officials told The Hindu.<\/p>\n

Mr. Shringla\u2019s visit, an official source observed, was mainly to \u2018sensitise\u2019 Sri Lankan interlocutors about the need for \u201cgreater focus\u201d on bilateral relations. Sri Lanka has \u2018reassured India, a top official said.
\n
\nCourtesy:The Hindu<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Meera Srinivasan There is an \u201curgent need\u201d to understand the \u201cweaknesses and strengths\u201d of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution and \u201cact accordingly\u201d, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday told Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while expressing a desire to revive the spirit of the relations of the 1960s and 1970s. Mr. Shringla …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘There is an \u201curgent need\u201d to understand the \u201cweaknesses and strengths\u201d of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution and \u201cact accordingly\u201d, – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Tells Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla; expresses desire to revive the spirit of Indo-Lanka relations of the 1960s and 1970s.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=74506"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74507,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74506\/revisions\/74507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=74506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=74506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=74506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}