Krishna, Rao meet Karuna on fisherman attack
External affairs minister S.M. Krishna and foreign secretary Nirupama Rao met with Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi to discuss with him the outcomes of Ms Rao’s visit to Sri Lanka. On Sunday, New Delhi had dispatched Ms Rao to Colombo to personally convey India’s concerns over the recent deaths of two Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Mr Krishna said “... regardless of whatever the circumstances are, use of force and killing fishermen has to be something part of the history. It cannot be the present and the future”.
“It has been pointed out to Sri Lankan authorities that it does not happen with Pakistan or any other country and why should it happen with Sri Lanka alone[.] So it is in this context that the Sri Lankan Government will have to revisit the question and take some decision which will not upset the bilateral relations between our two countries,” he noted.
Mr Krishna and Ms Rao met with Mr Karunanidhi the day after he asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to advise Colombo in “strong terms” to refrain from such “uncalled for attacks.” He also told the Prime Minister that the presence of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard on the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) should be strengthened to avoid such incidents.
It is understood that the next meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint working group on fishing could be held as early as the third week of February. As per the joint statement issued towards the end of Ms Rao’s visit, the joint working group would discuss, among other things, the proposed memorandum of understanding on development and cooperation in the field of fisheries.
Their respective officials would also hold discussions for strengthening the safety and security of the fishermen as per the October 26, 2008 joint statement on fishing, which has put in place practical arrangements to deal with bona fide fishermen crossing the IMBL. Also, the two countries would promote contacts between their fishermen’s associations.
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