JANUARY 21-27

Sri Lanka's Minister of External Affairs Prof. GL Peiris visited New Delhi to participate in the 8th Session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission on January 22, 2013. During his visit to New Delhi, Minister Peiris called on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 23 January. Minister has also delivered a public lecture at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses on January 22, 2013. 1 Three agreements were signed by the two countries, such as agreement for avoidance of double taxation and two separate agreements to fight terrorism.

According to reports, Sri Lanka and India will soon ink an agreement to draw a fishing boundary in the Palk Strait to end the continuing skirmishes between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian fishermen invading Sri Lanka's territorial waters. Reportedly, the proposed agreement to end recurring attacks on fishermen from Tamil Nadu allegedly by the island navy is in final stages and both governments have agreed to the boundary proposals. 2

In other developments, according to reports, a delegation of three high-ranking officials of the United States government arrived in Sri Lanka on January 26, 2013 on a mission to mainly assess the progress on implementing measures recommended by the country's own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). The delegation consists of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Moore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Vikram Singh, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jane Zimmerman. 3

• 1. “Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister calls on Indian PM”, The Colombo Page, January 24, 2013 at http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13A/Jan24_1359051916CH.php.
• 2. “India, Sri Lanka to draw a fishing boundary to solve fishermen issues”, The Colombo Page, January 27, 2013 at http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13A/Jan27_1359306768CH.php.
• 3. “High-ranking US delegation arrives in Sri Lanka to assess progress on reconciliation”, The Colombo Page, January 26, 2013 at http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13A/Jan26_1359213979CH.php.