{"id":115935,"date":"2024-06-22T19:26:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T13:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=115935"},"modified":"2024-06-24T17:17:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T11:47:35","slug":"external-affairs-minister-visit-to-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/external-affairs-minister-visit-to-sri-lanka","title":{"rendered":"External Affairs Minister Visit to Sri-Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">officially visited <\/span><b>Sri Lanka. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the <\/span><b>first bilateral visit <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">undertaken by EAM after <\/span><b>his re-appointment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>External Affairs Minister Visit to Sri-Lanka<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few days back, President Ranil Wickremesinghe <\/span><b>attended the new government&#8217;s swearing-in ceremony<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> following the General Elections in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>First bilateral visit to Sri Lanka:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It underscores the <\/span><b>central place Sri Lanka occupies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in India\u2019s \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/neighbourhood-first-policy-nfp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neighbourhood First<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019 Policy and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mission-sagar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SAGAR Vision<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During this visit the discussions were commenced on the way forward for the <\/span><b>bilateral cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><b> especially in power<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>energy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>connectivity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>port infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>aviation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>digital<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>health<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>food security<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>education<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>tourism sectors.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.099%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>IMF Extended Fund Facility<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka <\/span><b>qualified for an IMF Extended Fund Facility of $ 2.9 billion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to tide over its economic crisis, <\/span><b>but as a precondition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Colombo\u2019s <\/span><b>bilateral creditors must provide financing assurances<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on debt sustainability.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>China, Japan, and India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are Sri Lanka\u2019s main bilateral creditors.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Creditors\u2019 main concern<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is that the restructuring plan must treat all creditors equally.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the total bilateral debt, <\/span><b>China\u2019s share is 52 per cent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Japan\u2019s 19.5 per cen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t, and <\/span><b>India\u2019s 12 per cent.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Key Takeaways from the External Affairs Minister Visit to Sri-Lanka<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sri Lanka\u2019s Debt Restructuring Plan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Jaishankar\u2019s visit came <\/span><b>a day after India <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">had conveyed to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/international-monetary-fund-imf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>International Monetary Fund (IMF)<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that<\/span><b> India strongly supports Sri Lanka\u2019s debt restructuring plan.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Delhi is the <\/span><b>first bilateral creditor to do so.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka has sought <\/span><b>similar reassurances <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from<\/span><b> China and <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other creditors as well.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agreed Renewable Energy Framework: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka\u2019s renewable energy <\/span><b>potential is said to be much greater than its current consumption.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Selling the <\/span><b>surplus to India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by connecting to an <\/span><b>Indian gri<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d through <\/span><b>undersea cables<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is projected as a sustainable source of revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Energy Security:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Oil storage capacity<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in Trincomalee could be utilised to provide energy security both to Sri Lanka and the region<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has managed to push both long-pending projects, such as the Trinco oil tank farm, and new ones, such as the Adani investment in wind farms in northwestern<\/span><b> Sri Lanka<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>LNG supply: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Significant attention was given to plans for an<\/span><b> LNG supply, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a proposed <\/span><b>petroleum pipeline linking the two countries, and advancing oil and gas exploration projects.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, it was announced that construction of the<\/span><b> Sampur Solar Power Plant is set to commence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this year.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Asking the Sri Lankan government to implement the 13th amendment in its constitution:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.1%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>About 13th Amendment<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe backed the India-mooted <\/span><b>13th Amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a solution to address the <\/span><b>minority Tamil community&#8217;s long-pending demand for political autonomy.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has been <\/span><b>pressing Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which was brought in after the I<\/span><b>ndo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The 13A provides for the devolution of power to the Tamil community.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 13A became a part of <\/span><b>Sri Lanka\u2019s constitution in 1987<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the direct intervention of the then-Indian government led by<\/span><b> prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>created nine provincial councils for nine provinces<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a temporary merger of the North and East which the <\/span><b>Tamil minority claims is their traditional homeland.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides for elected provincial councils was introduced <\/span><b>in 1987<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the <\/span><b>only concession in the constitution <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on the <\/span><b>Tamil demand for devolution.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amendment \u2014 <\/span><b>opposed tooth and nail by Sinhala-Buddhist nationalists<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> both then and now \u2014 was intended to <\/span><b>create a provincial council in Sri Lanka\u2019s Tamil northeast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indian Housing Project in Sri Lanka: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jaishankar also joined President Wickremesinghe in virtually handing over <\/span><b>48 houses in Colombo and Trincomalee<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, built under the <\/span><b>Model Village Housing Project<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>106 houses in three up-country estates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, built under <\/span><b>Phase III of the Indian Housing Project, with funding from India.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unveiled the virtual plaque to mark the <\/span><b>formal commissioning of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Lanka under a USD 6 million grant from India.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MRCC includes <\/span><b>seven unmanned installations at strategic locations across Sri Lanka\u2019s coastline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Galle, Arugambay, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kallarawa, Point Pedro and Mollikulam.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is established by <\/span><b>state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, will serve as the nerve centre for search and rescue operations at the sea.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Major Pillars of India-Sri Lanka Relations<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Historical Relations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India and Sri Lanka have a long history of cultural, religious, and trade ties dating back to ancient times.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two countries have strong cultural ties, with many Sri Lankans tracing their heritage to India.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.1%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>About Neighbourhood First Policy<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was conceived in <\/span><b>2008<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with the principles of engagement under NFP being <\/span><b>5S (Respect, Dialogue, Peace, Prosperity and Culture)\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It aims to foster <\/span><b>stronger ties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>enhance regional cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>address mutual concerns<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the closest neighbouring nations.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><b>Buddhism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> originated in India and is also an <\/span><b>important religion in Sri Lanka.Economic Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India was Sri Lanka\u2019s l<\/span><b>argest trading partner in 2022<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, accounting for 16 percent of its total trade with the world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India extended <\/span><b>multi-pronged assistance of about USD 4 billion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to it, through multiple credit lines and currency support, in line with India\u2019s <\/span><b>\u2018Neighbourhood First\u2019 policy.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8983%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Vision \u2018SAGAR\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2015, <\/span><b>Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is India\u2019s strategic vision for the <\/span><b>Indian Ocean Region (IOR).<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through SAGAR, India aims to <\/span><b>deepen economic and security cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with maritime neighbours, assist in <\/span><b>building maritime security capabilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and ensure the r<\/span><b>egion becomes inclusive, collaborative, and adheres to international law.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SAGAR is integral to India\u2019s broader maritime policies, including the <\/span><b>Act East Policy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Project Sagarmala<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Project Mausam<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India as a \u2018<\/span><b>net security provider<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u2019 and the focus on the <\/span><b>Blue Economy.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Defence Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India and Sri Lanka conduct joint <\/span><b>Military (Mitra Shakti)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>naval exercises (SLINEX).\u2018Dosti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a trilateral exercise that aims to e<\/span><b>nhance cooperation, strengthen friendship, improve mutual operational capability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and develop interoperability among the <\/span><b>Coast Guard personnel of India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Diplomatic Relations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka is central to India\u2019s <\/span><b>\u201cNeighborhood First\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Development Cooperation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Indian Housing Project<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with an initial commitment to build <\/span><b>50,000 houses in war-affected areas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and estate workers in the plantation areas, is the Government of India (GoI)\u2019s flagship grant project in Sri Lanka.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>In 2022,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India signed an agreement to set up hybrid power projects on <\/span><b>northern Sri Lankan islands.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MOUs signed on Network to Network Agreement between <\/span><b>NPCI International Payments Limited (NPIL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Lanka Pay for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">application acceptance in Sri Lanka &#038;<\/span><b> Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the field of <\/span><b>Animal Husbandry and Dairying.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Regional Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India and Sri Lanka are members of organisations such as <\/span><b>SAARC, BIMSTEC, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both are part of international organisations such as the <\/span><b>United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank,<\/b> <b>etc.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Tourism: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2015, the Government of India formally launched the<\/span><b> e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme for Sri Lankan tourists.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To enhance connectivity between the two nations, India and Sri Lanka entered into an <\/span><b>Open Sky Agreement in 2016,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> enabling Sri Lankan Airlines to operate unlimited <\/span><b>flights to India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Areas of Conflict Between India-Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Ethnic Conflict<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Sri Lankan Civil War<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which lasted till <\/span><b>2009<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, significantly impacted India-Sri Lanka relations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka\u2019s <\/span><b>Tamil ethnic minority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which shares cultural and linguistic ties with Tamil Nadu, has been a concern for India.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The treatment of the Tamil population during the conflict and the aftermath have at times strained relations between the two countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9987%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a <\/span><b>militant organization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that emerged in the northern region of Sri Lanka which sought to establish an independent state called <\/span><b>Tamil Eelam for the ethnic Tamil minority <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It assassinated former<\/span><b> Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which led to a significant deterioration in India-Sri Lanka relations.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Katchatheevu Island Controversy:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>In 1921<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, both India and Sri Lanka, then British colonies, claimed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/katchatheevu-island-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Katchatheevu<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to determine fishing boundaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A survey was placed, but a British delegation from India challenged this, citing ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.1%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement, 1974<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">In 1974, then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made attempts to settle the maritime border between India and Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Under the agreement, India \u2018ceded\u2019 Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">However, the agreement did not specify the fishing rights of Indian fishermen.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><b>The kingdom of Ramanad Raja<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> controlled the island, a zamindari from 1795 to 1803 in Ramanathapuram in the Madras Presidency.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>China\u2019s Growing Influence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> China\u2019s increasing influence in Sri Lanka, through investment and infrastructure projects, has been a source of concern for India and has put pressure on the relationship.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>For Example:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cumulative Chinese investments account for <\/span><b>18 per cent of Sri Lanka\u2019s 2021 GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>10.8 percent of the country\u2019s foreign debt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This allows China special access to Sri Lanka \u2014 and its waters.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is also concerned about <\/span><b>China&#8217;s increasing presence in Sri Lanka<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through investments in ports, which could potentially be <\/span><b>used for military purposes.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the Chinese ship, <\/span><b>Yuang Wang 5 &#038; Shi Yan-6<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 was docked at <\/span><b>Hambantota port<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which possessed sensors that could track India\u2019s ballistic missiles if they are tested.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fisheries Dispute<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Problem emerged after a <\/span><b>maritime agreement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was signed by <\/span><b>India and Sri Lanka in 1974<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sri Lanka has long expressed concerns <\/span><b>about illegal fishing by Indian fishermen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> within its territorial waters <\/span><b>across the Palk Strait.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There have been <\/span><b>regular arrests of Indian fisherme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n for crossing the <\/span><b>International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.099%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Maritime Agreement 1976<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>In 1976<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, through an<\/span><b> exchange of letters, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">both India and Sri Lanka agreed to<\/span><b> stop fishing in each other\u2019s waters.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>In 1974 and 1976 treaties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were signed between the two countries to demarcate the <\/span><b>International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The treaties also ended up making the Palk Strait connecting India and Sri Lanka a \u2018<\/span><b>two-nation pond\u2019, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the relevant U<\/span><b>nited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) rules <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the <\/span><b>exclusion of all third nations.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilateral arrangement bans <\/span><b>international fishing and shipping.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sustained Engagement and Collaboration: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way forward in India-Sri Lanka relations involves sustained engagement and collaboration, based on mutual respect and understanding, to enhance their people&#8217;s well-being and the region&#8217;s stability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fisherman Issue:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Through bilateral engagements, both countries should try to work out a permanent solution to the issue of fishermen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Collaboration:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We need to focus on mutually beneficial economic and technological collaboration.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need to enhance economic and strategic ties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Managing China\u2019s Influence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Engaging in constructive dialogue with Sri Lanka about its relations with other countries, including China, to avoid misunderstandings and suspicions.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offering competitive alternatives to Sri Lanka regarding infrastructure development and investments to mitigate over-reliance on a single partner.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Decoupling from Tamil Nadu Politics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Tamil Nadu should not guide India\u2019s Sri Lanka policy. This must be avoided if India is to make an effective course correction in Sri Lanka. India&#8217;s playing into its domestic coalition politics calculation has meant that it has lost the strategic field to China to a great extent.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.232%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.141%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.605%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.605%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.605%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Test Series 2024<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.605%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Main Answer Writing<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.141%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently officially visited Sri Lanka. It is the first bilateral visit undertaken by EAM after his re-appointment. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":116198,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2084],"subject":[2102],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/115935"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115935"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/115935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115939,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/115935\/revisions\/115939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115935"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=115935"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=115935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}