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India hopes Lanka’s policy decisions will be in the best interest of two countries’ shared ethos and values: Shringla
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Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla
India’s 33rd Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Sri Lanka last night on an official visit, the details of which are published on page 1.
Secretary Shringla is a graduate from the prestigious St. Stephen’s College of the Delhi University. In a career of 37 years as a diplomat he has served as Ambassador to the United States of America, Bangladesh and Thailand. He has also served in Indian missions in France, Vietnam, Israel, South Africa and the United Nations.
As Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs, Secretary Shringla was responsible for Sri Lanka among other countries in South Asia. Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he worked in the public and private sectors in India.
Following is an email interview he granted the Sunday Times prior to his departure for Sri Lanka on some of the current topics relating to relations between the two countries.
Q: Indo-Sri Lanka relations have been somewhat ‘bumpy’ for the past few decades. With the sensitive northern insurgency in Sri Lanka behind the two countries, how do you see relations now?
India attaches importance to strong relations with Sri Lanka. Healthy development of two-way engagement with Sri Lanka across is a principal objective of the Government of India’s Neighbourhood-First policy. This assumes added significance at a time when the whole world is grappling with the disruptions and negative impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. When we look back at our post-Independence histories, we notice that it is precisely the periods of strong people-to-people ties combined with strategic thinking on regional peace and security, which have seen deepening of our bilateral engagement. Therefore, it is as much for the governments as for the people to develop and enrich our longstanding relations.
India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations have been marked by high-level visits and interactions, which have also continued in the last few years. After assuming office, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa undertook their first State visits to India in November 2019 and February 2020 respectively. In September 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had a successful Virtual Bilateral Summit. National Security Advisor and External Affairs Minister of India have also visited Sri Lanka in November 2020 and January 2021, respectively.
During this visit, which is my first to Sri Lanka after assuming charge as the Foreign Secretary, I look forward to further enhancing the development cooperation partnership, diplomatic engagement, economic and commercial ties, defence and security cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two governments. My visit coincides with significant improvement in the Covid situation. Lifting of Covid-related lockdown, I hope, will mark the return to more vigorous people-to-people interaction between the two sides.
Q: Is the Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987 still operational? India has been repeatedly calling for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. What remains as India’s obligations under this agreement now?
India seeks to maintain peaceful relations with all its neighbours, including Sri Lanka, which is a very important maritime, security and development partner. The multi-faceted engagement between the two sides is based on mutual respect for each other’s unity and territorial integrity. Being so closely linked by historically deep civilisational and cultural ties, the two countries have an abiding interest in mutual prosperity and security. At various instances in our shared history, India has responded to the requests from the Sri Lankan side for security assistance and also bookended these responses by actions that displayed full respect for the wishes of the Sri Lankan leadership of the time.
The Indian view about the benefits from the 13th Amendment flows from the above-mentioned approach. We have, therefore, called on the Government of Sri Lanka to address the aspirations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace and dignity within a united Sri Lanka, including by carrying forward the process of reconciliation with the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. This, in our view, will add to Sri Lanka’s strengths as a diverse and pluralistic democracy.
Q: Sri Lanka has been raising the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The content of the fisheries and fishermen issue is essentially humanitarian in nature. The balance of rights and obligations enshrined in the 1974 and 1976 Maritime Agreements tend to tilt towards the imperative of humane approaches to the problems associated with fishing, protection of resources and safety of fishermen. I would like to reiterate our long standing position that we must eschew the use of violence or force on these waters and adopt a humanitarian approach in dealing with fishermen related matters.
I would also like to highlight that both sides have held constructive discussions during the Joint Working Group meeting between the Fisheries Secretaries of India and Sri Lanka in December 2020 and the recent International Maritime Boundary Line meeting between the Navies and Coast Guards of India and Sri Lanka on September 29, 2021. We also look forward to early release of boats belonging to Indian fisherman from Sri Lankan custody.
Smuggling of goods through sea routes between India and Sri Lanka has also been on the rise. How do you view the situation?
Cooperation between India and Sri Lanka against transnational crimes like smuggling of goods through the sea routes is a very important component of our shared commitment to mutual security. Without going into details, I would like to mention that it is due to close ongoing cooperation between the two countries, our Navies, Coast Guards and the agencies, that a number of consignments of narcotics, arms and other smuggled substances have been apprehended. Your readers, I am sure, would have seen media reports about some of them.
Being close neighbours, the security interests of our two countries are intertwined. Maritime security plays an important part. Besides bilateral cooperation, regional cooperation also has a very significant role to play here. It may be recalled that during the NSA level trilateral meeting of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives held in Colombo in November 2020, it was decided to forge closer cooperation on maritime and security matters in the Indian Ocean Region. Subsequently, in August this year, the Deputy NSAs of the three countries met under the aegis of the Colombo Security Conclave and identified four pillars of cooperation, namely, Marine Safety and Security, Terrorism and Radicalization, Trafficking and Organized Crime and Cyber security.
Q:President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his address at the UN appealed to the UN to defend the Buddhist heritage of Afghanistan. Will India support this call?
India is blessed to be the land from where the invaluable gift of the Buddha’s teachings spread to the rest of the world. Today, Buddhist heritage forms an important civilisational bond between India and many countries. Sri Lanka has a very important and special place among them, being one of the first countries to have received the gift of Buddhism from India two millennia ago. Our shared living heritage of Buddhism continues to inspire millions of people and has been kept alive through regular exchanges, exposition of Buddha’s relics, Buddhist pilgrimages, conservation of Buddhist sites etc. It is, therefore, our right, responsibility and duty, to defend our shared Buddhist heritage not only in our own countries but all over the world.
Q: What is the status of the Buddhism grant announced by Government of India last year?
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, announced a special grant of USD 15 million for promotion of Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka. The grant will assist in deepening people-to-people linkages between the two countries in the sphere of Buddhism, through infrastructure development projects; capacity development; cultural activities; archaeological cooperation; reciprocal exposition of Lord Buddha’s relics; promotion of Buddhist related pilgrimage to India etc. Currently, both Governments are holding discussions on the modalities for utilization of the grant. We hope to sign the MOU shortly.
Q: The repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu is a pending issue. Will India be granting citizenship to part of the Sri Lankan community with refugee status in India?
This is a humanitarian matter of great importance, impacting the lives of close to hundred thousand Sri Lankan people, who are currently in India. While we in India have done and will do all that is possible to look after them, it is clear that their home is Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is our duty to facilitate their voluntary return. There are existing understandings in this regard and we remain in touch with the Government of Sri Lanka. A livelihood package for resettlement will help when such individuals return.
Q: Sri Lanka has been in discussion with the Indian government for a 500 million US dollar credit line to buy fuel to and delay payments according to the President’s Secretary. What has been the response from Delhi?
The energy sector remains one of the vital components of our partnership with Sri Lanka. In this connection, we continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and to assist Sri Lanka in ensuring energy security. In this spirit, positive discussions on possible Indian support to Sri Lanka to buy fuel from India are ongoing between the two Governments.
Q: What is the status of the Development of the West Container Terminal of the Colombo Port? Earlier this year Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd was to develop the terminal. Is this on track?
As you would be aware, a private investor from India has been in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka with regard to the development of West Container Terminal (WCT) and I understanda BOT agreement for WCT was concluded last week.
From a broader perspective, we feel that the maritime connectivity between India and Sri Lanka will be strengthened further through participation and investment from India in mutually beneficial projects such as the development and expansion of the Colombo Port, whose bulk of transshipment business is with India. This in turn will further strengthen our trade and economic relations.
Q: India has raised the issue that Sri Lanka was slow to implement its promised projects in Sri Lanka. Does that remain an issue with India — and are you here to discuss these concerns?
Some bilateral initiatives/projects have not progressed as expected due to various reasons, including due to the difficulties caused by the Covid related restrictions. We are working with Sri Lanka to see how we can address such issues in a timely and mutually satisfactory manner. At the same time it is important to remember that India and Sri Lanka continue to be steadfast partners with multi-faceted cooperation over a very broad range of sectors. Many projects, especially those under the Lines of credit are progressing well. The instances of successful cooperation significantly outnumber some of challenges that we have seen. While we would like to see quick resolution of some of the issues, we certainly would not like to define our partnership in terms of these developments alone.
Q: Increased Chinese investments in Sri Lanka have raised red flags in India. How does India see this expanding Chinese footprint in Sri Lanka? Is its reliance on the Quad its answer to it?
India’s relationship with Sri Lanka is unique and stands independent of the developments in Sri Lanka’s and India’s relationship with other countries. Our longstanding, civilisational and trust-based relations with Sri Lanka rest on the solid foundation of strong people-to-people ties. We have full confidence in the depth of our mutually beneficial millennia-old multifaceted relations with Sri Lanka, and also in the wisdom of Sri Lanka and its people to take decisions in the best interest of our shared ethos and values.
I would also like to point out that there is considerable convergence on creating the necessary environment for robust trade and investment between India and Sri Lanka, including by deepening the integration of supply chains. Both sides can work for early realisation of infrastructure and connectivity projects. These will elevate the economic engagement to higher levels. Equally important, the opportunity afforded by cooperation in renewable energy projects should be exploited for the benefit of the people and enterprises on both sides of the Palk Strait.