Transport Links

Jan 08, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lanka and India have signed an agreement to start ferry services between the two neighbours with a meeting of officials to be held in Colombo next week, an Indian High Commission statement said.









An Indian company, IRCON, has already commenced survey work for this purpose to restore the damaged pier in Talaimannar, the Indian High Commission said. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) envisages putting in place ferry services between Colombo and the south Indian port of Tuticorin and Talaimannar, in north-western Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram in southern India.

"Resumption of these services signals an important step in the restoration of the traditional links between the two countries," the statement said.

The High Commissioner of India, Ashok Kantha and the Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Highways, Sujatha Cooray, signed the MoU between India and Sri Lanka on passenger transportation by sea.

"Both countries are taking immediate steps to start a passenger ferry service between Colombo and Tuticorin where the necessary infrastructure is already in place," the statement said.

"A Joint Committee Meeting is being held on 10-11 January, 2011 in Colombo, during which officials