New Delhi: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, on a three-day visit to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last week to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including development cooperation, education, and the welfare of fishermen.
The discussions on fishermen's welfare are particularly notable as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had, ahead of the visit, written to PM Modi urging him to raise the retrieval of Katchatheevu Island with the Sri Lankan leader.
In his letter, Stalin mentioned the repeated harassment faced by Tamil Nadu’s fishing communities, noting that since 2021, 1,482 fishermen and 198 fishing boats had been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in 106 incidents, causing significant economic and emotional distress.
After meeting PM Modi, Amarasuriya spoke on the sensitive fishermen issue and said, "That is an ongoing issue and something that needs to be discussed. We need to protect the livelihoods of our fishermen as well, but we understand that that's a sensitive issue and we will continue to talk about it. It is important for both our countries to ensure that the communities dependent on fishing are supported, and we will maintain dialogue to find practical solutions."
