Foreign Secretary of India visits Sri Lanka; Ninety One Sri Lankan fishermen released by India; Sri Lanka receives US$ 1.5 billion from IMF on account of the Stand By Arrangement facility;
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    • India’s Foreign Secretary Ms Nirupama Rao visited Sri Lanka and met President Mahindra Rajapaksa and Minister of External Affairs G.L. Peiris. She discussed the recent incident of the death of two fishermen at the waters between India and Sri Lanka as well as attack Sri-Lankan visitors at Maha-Biodhi Tample in Chennai. The two sides agreed that use of force can not be justified under any circumstances. Two days after her visit to Sri Lanka, on February 2, ninety one Sri Lankan fishermen who were in the custody of Indian authorities were released along with seventeen of their fishing craft. There are nine other fishermen and four vessels yet to be released.1

    Reports noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the sixth tranche of the Stand By Arrangement Facility with Sri Lanka to the value of US dollars 216.6 million after a successful fifth review of the facility. With this disbursement, a total of US dollars 1.5 billion has been received thus far by Sri Lanka on account of the Stand By Arrangement facility that was approved in July 2009.2

    According to reports, Sabaragamuwa, one of Sri Lanka's nine provinces, plans to collaborate with the Kerala Agricultural University in transfer of technology and farming knowledge. Details of the possible tie-up would be discussed in April when Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister were expected to visit Kerala.3

    As far as flood relief aid to Sri Lanka is concerned, five Japanese NGOs affiliated to the Japan Platform (JPF) which are: the Association for Aid and Relief Japan, Peace Winds Japan, PARC Interpeople’s Cooperation, Save the Children Japan and World Vision Japan, are providing relief assistance worth 47.2 million Japanese Yen (over SL Rs. 62 million) to flood victims with funding from the Government of Japan.4 Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia has collected a sum of US $ 15,700 from the Sri Lankan expatriates for the flood victims in Sri Lanka.5

    In other developments, Sri Lankan government has decided to impose a temporary stoppage of migrant workers going to Egypt.6

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