Lanka will allow foreign ships to berth in order to resupply

COLOMBO: In response to China’s protests over Colombo’s acceptance of a German survey ship while rejecting a request of its own, a top official said that Sri Lanka would let foreign offshore research ships replenish at its ports, despite a one-year prohibition on such boats.

Since President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government imposed a one-year ban on offshore research vessels last December due to serious security concerns raised by India and the US following the visit of two Chinese high-tech research vessels in 14 months, this is the first time Sri Lanka has formally acknowledged that foreign research vessels will be allowed for replenishments.

According to Niluka Kadurugamuwa, a spokeswoman for Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry, “the ban on foreign ships is for research purposes, not on replenishment,” Economy Next said. “There was a German research vessel recently for replenishment and Sri Lanka allowed it,” he said.
SOPs are now being implemented in Sri Lanka for the management of foreign boats.