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MOU on Indo-Lanka ferry service soon

by A.H.M. Farook

The Memorandum of Understanding between Sri Lanka and India on the Indo-Lanka ferry service will be signed very shortly, Minister of Port Development & Shipping Rauff Hakeem announced last Saturday at the end of his two day official visit to India.

As a result of successful talks the minister had with Indian External Affairs Ministers Sri Yashwant Sinha and Shipping Minister Wed there, the draft of the MOU will be made available very shortly, Ministry sources revealed yesterday.

Once the draft which is being prepared by the Indian External Affairs Ministry reaches the Minister through the Indian High Commission in Colombo, it will be presented to the Cabinet for approval. After Cabinet approval, the MOU will be signed and the ferry service will commence immediately, the minister said.

Meanwhile, the minister has also given the necessary instructions to Shipping Corporation Chairman A.J.M. Muzammil and Ports Authority Vice Chairman Prakrama Dissanayake to commence the ground-work and to ensure providing necessary facilities for the proposed ferry service. Preliminary arrangements in respect of Immigration and Emigration, Customs and passenger terminal are being finalised at present.

Minister Hakeem, after having completed his first leg of tour in India, left for Oslo to participate in the Peace Support Conference which began yesterday.

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