The proposal to hand over the Eastern Terminal to India is not a proposal of the current government

May 04, 2024

political Current Affairs

The proposal to hand over the Eastern Terminal to India is not a proposal of the current government – Minister Udaya Gammanpila

February 02, 2021

Speaking at the Cabinet Decision media briefing held today (02) at the Government Information Department, Minister Udaya Gammanpila asserted that the proposal to hand over the Eastern Terminal to India is not a proposal of the current government.

He explained the said proposal was brought forth during a visit to India in 2017 by the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe when the then government signed a memorandum of understanding with India under the patronage of the then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. As an extension of this memorandum, in May 2019 the then Minister of Ports and Shipping Ministry signed an agreement on India and Japan to take part in the development of the Colombo harbor terminal.

The current government came to power amidst the above-mentioned interests and now the government has strategically decided the East Terminal must be 100% owned by the Ports Authority of Sri Lanka.