The High Commissioner of India, Mr. Ashok K. Kantha and the Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Highways, Mrs. Sujatha Cooray, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between India and Sri Lanka on Passenger Transportation by Sea. The MOU was signed in the presence of H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, at a ceremony at Temple Trees.

The MoU envisages putting in place ferry services between Colombo and Tuticorin and Talaimannar and Rameswaram. Resumption of these services signals an important step in the restoration of the traditional links between the two countries.

Both countries are taking immediate steps to start a passenger ferry service between Colombo and Tuticorin where the necessary infrastructure is already in place. For this purpose, a Joint Committee Meeting is being held on 10-11 January, 2011 in Colombo, during which officials from India and Sri Lanka will discuss the modalities to start the service. The Shipping Corporation of India has already received Expression of Interest from potential ferry service operators in India and is examining them in order to finalise the grant of a concession to operate ferry services between Tuticorin and Colombo, which could commence shortly.

Services between Talaimannar and Rameshwaram will commence once the requisite infrastructure is put in place on both sides. An Indian company, IRCON, has already commenced survey work for this purpose to restore the damaged pier in Talaimannar.