Shooting of Indian fishermen:

Lanka to give correct picture to India

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India Romesh Jayasinghe will meet Indian External Affairs Ministry high officials today to brief the Indian authorities about the recent incident relating to the killing of two Indian fishermen from Nagapattinam on the South Indian Coast on July 11.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told the Daily News last nigh that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India has already been instructed to brief the Indian External Affairs Ministry officials regarding the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) agreement during this discussion.

Minister Bogollagama has already written a letter to Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee regarding the incident relating to the killing of the two Indian fishermen from Nagapattinam on the South Indian coast on July 11.

“The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India will further discuss the matter with Indian External Affairs Ministry officials during this meeting,” Minister Bogollagama added. During this meeting the High Commissioner is expected to hand over a letter from Minister Bogollagama addressed to the Indian External Affairs Minister dated July 17 on the CEPA agreement at this meeting with the higher officials of the Indian External Affairs Ministry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued a statement denying any Sri Lankan Navy involvement in the recent killing of two Indian fishermen after Indian media alleged that the Sri Lanka Navy was involved in the killing of two Indian fishermen.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry in its statement categorically pointed out that through the preliminary findings of this case there were no Naval units operating on the Sri Lanka side of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the area off Point Calimere on July 11.

According to officials, the LTTE is making use of these incident to tarnish the image of the Sri Lanka Navy among the Indian officials and to bring pressure on the Sri Lankan Government.