MOU doesn't specify Eastern Terminal - Min. Samarasinghe

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Speaking on the development of the Eastern terminal of Colombo harbour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe revealed that the Prime Minister requested cabinet to delay debating a cabinet paper on it, by one week, to allow him time to speak with the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo. The Minister continued to say that accordingly within this week they hope to put forward their stance to the High Commissioner of India on the matter. He added that when the President had attended the BIMSTEC Summit he had informed Indian Prime Minister Modi that Sri Lanka has no plans to hand over the east terminal to India. Samarasinghe stated that as the subject minister he presented a cabinet paper last week, on the east terminal, keeping this in mind. Minister Samarasinghe also commented on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Sri Lanka in 2017. The Minister said that the MOU signed in 2017 does not specify that Sri Lanka would develop the eastern terminal with India, the MOU merely speaks of a terminal. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe continued to say that since the MOU was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, they have suggested to hand over the western terminal to India for development. He also added that several projects have been delayed, such as the agreement for a 1000Megawatt Natural Gas project at the Western terminal because a feasibility check-up is been carried out on the issues that could occur to the harbour due to this LNG plant. The Minister added that the feasibility check-up is carried out by Lloyd's.