The Indian government is in close contact with Sri Lankan authorities over the recent detention of over 30 Indian fishermen and seizure of their vessels, the spokesman for the Indian Foreign Ministry, Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2020) The Indian government is in close contact with Sri Lankan authorities over the recent detention of over 30 Indian fishermen and seizure of their vessels, the spokesman for the Indian Foreign Ministry, Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday.
According to Srivastava, New Delhi attaches "high priority" to the issue of the apprehension of Indian fishermen and seizure of their vessels by the Sri Lankan Navy on December 14 and 15, which was also reported by the government of Tamil Nadu.
"The government attaches high priority to this issue. We are in close touch with the Government of Sri Lanka through our High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna to verify the information and to ensure consular access and facilitate the early release of the fishermen and their boats," the spokesman said.
On Tuesday, the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard said that as many as 36 Indian fishermen had been arrested and five trawlers and fishing gear had been seized during an operation conducted as part of the COVID-19 preventive guidelines. The Indian fishermen will spend 14 days in quarantine.
According to Srivastava, the fishermen issue and the seized fishing boats have been on the agenda of bilateral discussion between India and Sri Lanka for many years.
The spokesman also commented on the two Indian cargo ships stranded for months in the Chinese waters.
"The bulk cargo vessel MV Jag Anand is on anchorage near Jingtang port in Hebei province of China since June 13, 2020 with 23 Indian nationals as crew on board. Another vessel, MV Anastasia, which has 16 Indian nationals as its crew, is on anchorage near Caofeidian port in China since September 20, 2020, waiting for discharge of its cargo. Our Embassy is in touch with the Chinese authorities," he said.
Srivastava added that New Delhi and China continue to maintain communication through the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.
