India displeased over Sri Lanka's failure to honour bilateral agreements: Report

India has expressed dissatisfaction over Sri Lanka's failure to honour several recent bilateral agreements signed between both nations. Speaking to Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who concluded his two-day visit to India on 2 December, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised concerns over the failure to meet three of the agreements signed in the wake of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's assuming office two years ago, ANI reported, citing Ceylon Today. 

Meanwhile, the diplomats engaged in two rounds of separate talks where they discussed the Colombo Port's Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) trilateral deal between India, Japan and Sri Lanka, which was scrapped in February after the Indian company refused to comply with the proposed project terms. Apart from this, both sides talked about the handing over of 40% shares of the Yugadanavi LNG Plant to a US firm.  

The report comes a week after Rajapaksa and Sitharaman met last week intending to enhance collaboration over bilateral economic cooperation.  

"The pleasure of meeting with India Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday. We discussed a range of aspects pertaining to bilateral cooperation with the pure of enhancing collaboration. Partnerships such as these are vital for the future of Sri Lanka," Rajapaksa had tweeted after he concluded his tour on Thursday.  

India finalises four-point package for bilateral economic cooperation 

India and Sri Lanka on December 3 chalked a four-point package to help the latter develop the slugging economy. The said deal includes a line of credit to cover the import of food, medicines and currency swap arrangement.

The package was finalised last week during Sri Lankan FM Rajapaksa's two days visit, which was the first since he ascended the chair in July. They also discussed the early modernisation of Trincomalee Tank Farm. The currency swap package is expected to solve current balance of payment issues, ensuring the facilitation of Indian investment in different sectors in Sri Lanka.   

(With inputs from ANI, Image: PTI/AP)