President, Indian Premier focus on fishing issues

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh yesterday focused on issues related to fishermen when they met at Shangri-la hotel in Villingili, Maldives on the sidelines of 17th SARRC Heads of State Meeting that commenced yesterday.

It was upheld at the bilateral discussion between the two leaders that this issue concerning fishermen can be solved amicably. Both leaders had a lengthy discussion on how this issue could be solved.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that 43,700 fishing boats from Southern India have engaged in poaching during the past 10 months and drew the Indian Prime Minister’s special attention to problems faced by fishermen in the northern region.

The Indian Prime Minister was also briefed on the achievement made by the government in respect of resettling Internally Displaced Persons in the Northern region.

President Rajapaksa said that these people need to be provided permanent houses and detailed steps taken by the government to provide houses to the IDPs.

They also discussed the construction activities and the progress of the coal power plant at Sampur.

A number of issues concerning the two countries and the region also came under discussion.

External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peries, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Traditional industries and Small Enterprise Minister Douglas Devananda and Parliamentarians Sajin Vass Gunawardena, A.H.M. Azwer, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Maldives Dickson Dela were also present.

Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa also met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinley on the sidelines of 17th SAARC Summit in Addu city, Male yesterday.