Latest news with #Herath
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Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
No intention of ceding Katchatheevu island, says Lankan foreign minister
S Jaishankar said the issue of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen stems from an agreement during the Emergency, imposed in 1975, under which their rights for fishing in specific areas were given up Press Trust of India Colombo Sri Lanka has no intention to cede the Katchatheevu island, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said, calling the "rumblings" in India an issue between the political parties there. We have our diplomatic channels open to resolve the issue, but what is certain is Sri Lanka will never agree to let go of a part of Sri Lanka which is Katchatheevu and established so by international law," Herath on Thursday told Sirasa TV in response to a question on frequent arrests of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters. Fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on June 27 said the issue of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen stems from an agreement during the Emergency, imposed in 1975, under which their rights for fishing in some specific areas were given up. Herath, however, brushed off the issue, saying that "rumblings" over the Katchatheevu issue are "political sparring between the BJP at the centre and the opposition Congress Party." Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island, was ceded to Sri Lanka by the then-Indira Gandhi regime in the country under a maritime agreement in 1974. Further, another agreement signed in 1976 restricted the fishermen of both countries from fishing in each other's exclusive economic zones. Herath accused the Indian fishermen of venturing into Sri Lanka's maritime border to do fishing near Katchatheevu, adding that they not only "plunder the fishing resources" but also damage sea plants. But we know for sure the central Indian government is not in favour of continuous illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters, Herath added. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering the island nation's territorial waters. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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First Post
21-06-2025
- First Post
Sri Lanka deports 85 Chinese nationals over bank cybercrime suspicions
The deported individuals were part of approximately 230 Chinese men and women arrested in October on cybercrime charges, with the others still facing legal proceedings read more In a major crackdown on cybercrime gangs, the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka on Friday (June 20) deported 85 Chinese nationals after they were accused of targeting the country's banks. The suspects were found guilty of violating the terms of their tourist visas and fined around $250 each. 'They were arrested by police in October over allegations that they were carrying out online scams targeting international banks,' a senior immigration official who asked for anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media without permission, told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The official said the Chinese nationals, including 13 women, were flown on a chartered SriLankan Airlines flight to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The group was accompanied by Sri Lankan police and Chinese security escorts. Sri Lankan police reported that a court in Kandy district ordered the electronic devices confiscated from the group to be transferred to Chinese authorities. The deported individuals were part of approximately 230 Chinese men and women arrested in October on cybercrime charges, with the others still facing legal proceedings. The Chinese embassy noted at the time that Beijing's intensified crackdown on cybercriminals domestically may have driven some to operate overseas. In the previous year, police detained around 200 suspects, mostly Indians, who were also accused of running online financial scams. Last year, the country's foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, had expressed concerns that the island nation was becoming a 'hub' for cybercrimes. 'We have to see if Sri Lanka is a cyber crimes hub,' Herath told reporters, 'and whether our financial system is being affected by this.' At that time, Sri Lankan Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said one of the reasons for this could be the 'gullibility' of Sri Lankan nationals. 'It could be a sociological reason; many groups in Sri Lanka are easily enticed by messages, and are gullible.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'People in economic difficulties can be enticed into earning quick money.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Debt-stricken Sri Lanka and New Zealand discuss ways to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka hosted one of New Zealand's top ministers to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties in areas such as trade, tourism and agriculture. Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, met Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath in the capital Colombo on Monday. The five-day visit by Peters is scheduled to continue until Wednesday The visit comes as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis, which began in the Indian Ocean island nation three years ago. The countries have improved relations in recent years, establishing a New Zealand embassy in Colombo in 2021 and a Sri Lankan embassy in Wellington this year. The discussion Monday focused on advancing ties in trade, investment, agriculture, education and tourism, Herath said. 'We also explored expanding trade links in high-potential sectors such as diary, processed food, fresh produce and discussed improving market access for Sri Lankan products,' Herath told reporters. He commended New Zealand's support in developing Sri Lanka's dairy industry, saying it had a 'transformational impact on rural livelihood.' Sri Lanka has embarked on an effort to expand and modernize its domestic diary industry in recent years, but still produces only about 40% of the country's demand for milk and dairy products, while the balance is imported. New Zealand is a key supplier of those dairy products, especially milk powder. In 2024, New Zealand exported $335 million in goods to Sri Lanka, with dairy products forming the bulk. Trade balance between the nations favors New Zealand, which in 2024 imported goods worth $64 million from Sri Lanka including tea, coffee, apparel and rubber products. The discussion included reducing red tape at the border and how to 'increase Sri Lanka's market access capabilities," Peters said. "We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners,' said Peters, adding that those collaborations will benefit Sri Lanka's tourism, agriculture and healthcare sectors. Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half to foreign creditors. It sought the help of the International Monetary Fund, which approved a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout package in 2023 under which Sri Lanka was required to restructure its debt. In September last year, Sri Lanka said it had concluded the debt restructuring process after reaching agreements with bilateral and multilateral creditors and private bondholders. Sri Lanka is seeking to obtain $17 billion in debt service relief. Sri Lanka's crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, along with 2019 terrorism attacks that devastated its important tourism industry. The pandemic also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Debt-stricken Sri Lanka and New Zealand discuss ways to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka hosted one of New Zealand's top ministers to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties in areas such as trade, tourism and agriculture. Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, met Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath in the capital Colombo on Monday. The five-day visit by Peters is scheduled to continue until Wednesday The visit comes as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis, which began in the Indian Ocean island nation three years ago. The countries have improved relations in recent years, establishing a New Zealand embassy in Colombo in 2021 and a Sri Lankan embassy in Wellington this year. The discussion Monday focused on advancing ties in trade, investment, agriculture, education and tourism, Herath said. 'We also explored expanding trade links in high-potential sectors such as diary, processed food, fresh produce and discussed improving market access for Sri Lankan products,' Herath told reporters. He commended New Zealand's support in developing Sri Lanka's dairy industry, saying it had a 'transformational impact on rural livelihood.' Sri Lanka has embarked on an effort to expand and modernize its domestic diary industry in recent years, but still produces only about 40% of the country's demand for milk and dairy products, while the balance is imported. New Zealand is a key supplier of those dairy products, especially milk powder. In 2024, New Zealand exported $335 million in goods to Sri Lanka, with dairy products forming the bulk. Trade balance between the nations favors New Zealand, which in 2024 imported goods worth $64 million from Sri Lanka including tea, coffee, apparel and rubber products. The discussion included reducing red tape at the border and how to 'increase Sri Lanka's market access capabilities," Peters said. "We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners,' said Peters, adding that those collaborations will benefit Sri Lanka's tourism, agriculture and healthcare sectors. Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half to foreign creditors. It sought the help of the International Monetary Fund, which approved a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout package in 2023 under which Sri Lanka was required to restructure its debt. In September last year, Sri Lanka said it had concluded the debt restructuring process after reaching agreements with bilateral and multilateral creditors and private bondholders. Sri Lanka is seeking to obtain $17 billion in debt service relief. Sri Lanka's crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, along with 2019 terrorism attacks that devastated its important tourism industry. The pandemic also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad.
Mint
26-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Debt-stricken Sri Lanka, New Zealand discuss ways to deepen bilateral trade, investment ties
Colombo, May 26 (AP) Debt-stricken Sri Lanka hosted one of New Zealand's top ministers to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties in areas such as trade, tourism and agriculture. Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, met Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath in the capital Colombo on Monday. The five-day visit by Peters is scheduled to continue until Wednesday. The visit comes as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst economic crisis, which began in the Indian Ocean island nation three years ago. The countries have improved relations in recent years, establishing a New Zealand embassy in Colombo in 2021 and a Sri Lankan embassy in Wellington this year. The discussion Monday focused on advancing ties in trade, investment, agriculture, education and tourism, Herath said. 'We also explored expanding trade links in high-potential sectors such as diary, processed food, fresh produce and discussed improving market access for Sri Lankan products,' Herath told reporters. He commended New Zealand's support in developing Sri Lanka's dairy industry, saying it had a 'transformational impact on rural livelihood'. Sri Lanka has embarked on an effort to expand and modernise its domestic diary industry in recent years, but still produces only about 40 per cent of the country's demand for milk and dairy products, while the balance is imported. New Zealand is a key supplier of those dairy products, especially milk powder. In 2024, New Zealand exported USD 335 million in goods to Sri Lanka, with dairy products forming the bulk. Trade balance between the nations favours New Zealand, which in 2024 imported goods worth USD 64 million from Sri Lanka including tea, coffee, apparel and rubber products. The discussion included reducing red tape at the border and how to 'increase Sri Lanka's market access capabilities", Peters said. "We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners," said Peters, adding that those collaborations will benefit Sri Lanka's tourism, agriculture and healthcare sectors. Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than USD 83 billion in debt, more than half to foreign creditors. It sought the help of the International Monetary Fund, which approved a USD 2.9 billion, four-year bailout package in 2023 under which Sri Lanka was required to restructure its debt. In September last year, Sri Lanka said it had concluded the debt restructuring process after reaching agreements with bilateral and multilateral creditors and private bondholders. Sri Lanka is seeking to obtain $17 billion in debt service relief. Sri Lanka's crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, along with 2019 terrorism attacks that devastated its important tourism industry. The pandemic also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad. (AP) PY PY
