Allocate oil exploration blocks – India to Sri Lanka
India is persuading Sri Lanka to allocate oil exploration blocks in the waters that separate them as it considers the location too strategically important to allow companies from other nations to base themselves in this area.
Diplomatic sources said the two countries were trying to set up a meeting between the Petroleum Ministers this month to discuss the issue afresh, now that Cairns India has struck oil in one of the blocks. If the talks make progress, the two Ministers could meet again in October, the sources said.
After the war with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) ended in 2009, Cairns, which was allocated a block two years earlier, was encouraged by New Delhi to take up exploitation in earnest. This was the first time in 25 years that a company had prospected for oil in an area whose seas were considered no-go areas during the heyday of the LTTE.
India plans to step up its efforts in view of the international interest in the area after the war ended. Russian, Vietnamese and Malaysian companies have held meetings on the subject with senior Sri Lankan officials while China has also expressed its desire to get involved.
While Russia, Vietnam and Malaysia are considered friendly countries, New Delhi would not like to court adverse publicity at home if Chinese companies are successful. It has faced flak after the Chinese took up the expansion of Hambantota port in southern Sri Lanka because India had passed up the opportunity.
But officials feel Sri Lanka could be playing for time after it informed the Indians about plans to carve out more blocks from the existing ones — Colombo might be sizing up the potential to strike a favourable revenue-sharing arrangement, they said.
New Delhi expects a favourable response after having stood by Sri Lanka during its annihilation of the LTTE’s military structure even though sections of the world community and Indian domestic public opinion assailed the security forces for human rights abuses.
Source: The Hindu
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India owed us to stay neutral at least when we totally annihilated the LTTE. This is because Indira Gandhi, trained, funded and armed LTTE terrorist organisation through RAW and released this terrible virus/scourge on us to cripple our economy for 30 years and to kill many thousands and caused destruction which ran into billons of rupees. We do not owe anything to India. Infact India owed us, because we killed VP who killed Indira Gandhi’s son Rajiv Gandhi.
India has been a bad trading partner. It dumps all their shoddy and out-of-date goods on us at exhorbitant rates. This is not the act of a friend but an enemy. Already Cairn, a conglomerate of India and Britain are exploring oil in the Mannar basin and have struck oil and gas. We get only 5% of the profit. What a ridiculous amount! Hence it is paramount we are focused on deals which are for our best interest and not to benefit India. This resource we have should be auctioned to companies from China, Russia, Malaysia and Vietnam who are our friends, on negotiated best terms for us, and not the paltry 5% profit thrown at us, like leftover bone to a dog.
The responder is absolutely correct. India will owe us
(Sri lankans) for generations. They trained, supported & now even give shelter & refuge to hardcore LTTE members their kith & kin.
Bad enough already streaming Indians coming across the sea WITHOUT VISAS as allowed by our Govt. It will be soon Tamils/Indians controlling every aspect of our lives.
No more ABSOLUTELY never anymore consideration for Indians. Even at an expense we can easily get Vitenam, Russia & Mid East countries to come & explore.
NOT only that even the present free trade agreement with India is one sided & benefits India the most.
They want to tie up, electricity, and much more underground sea cables, whole gambit of intrusions,plus large numbers of Indians are now inhabiting Moneragala & Bibile area in North Central Province.
This would undermine our independence & sovereignity, which the WEST gladly applaud, India doing the dirty work for them.
STOP NOW!! and seek help of other countries. Best is to pay all our loans back and call it quits.
Just exprseeing my views about my Motherland…Gamunu-retd engr-Canada
SL should not hand over every thing to India, and there is no reason to do so, it should be done in favour of SL, so it should be auctioned to our friendly counties
Please do not give the Indians opportunity to exploit our wealth. When things go bad they will look for a division in our society and support the dividers to achieve their own ends.
I am tamizh person living in the North and I want peace and United Sri Lanka. The days of war and division are gone. Goodbye bad days. We don’t want to talk about it any longer. We want one country and we want to live with our Sinhala and Muslim brothers and sisters.