The World Outside: Sri Lanka Pulls Out Of Port Deal; PM Modi, Joe Biden Have Their First Chat
Feb 09, 2021 07:11 PM IST The World Outside
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In this week s news from outside the world, Sri Lanka pulled out of the tripartite agreement to develop the East Container Terminal. The first call between the two leaders of India and America after Joe Biden’s inauguration as the President of the United States of America took place this week. The Ministry of External Affairs Press release said – “Prime Minister welcomed President Biden’s initiative to organise the Climate Leaders Summit in April this year and looked forward to participating in the same.”
By Ifham Nizam
More than 100 villagers with the backing of local politicians yesterday started clearing forests at the Dahayiyagala sanctuary despite objections from some 50 Wildlife department officers.
A Wildlife Officer told
The Island these lands come under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and any human activity there was illegal.
The Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE) said that a campaign to clear 300 acres of forest had been launched. “
An environmental Scientist warned the forest clearance would aggravate the human-elephant conflict.
The Island on its Friday edition reported a move to degazette more forest lands belonging to the Dahayiyagala sanctuary, which serves as a corridor for the elephants in the Udawalawa National Park and the Lunugamwehere National Park to migrate.
Japanese Amb. meets Dinesh
Japan has expressed regret after Sri Lanka scrapped the 2019 deal with New Delhi and Tokyo for the development of the Colombo port’s East Container Terminal.
A Japanese Embassy official in Delhi responding to Indian news agency WION’, “expressed regret at the unilateral decision taken by Sri Lanka”.
The Sri Lankan cabinet on Monday unanimously approved that the East Terminal of the port will be developed solely by the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA).
WION report: “Meanwhile in the aftermath of the development, Japan envoy to Colombo Akira Sugiyama met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Wednesday to discuss a “range of matters relevant to the bilateral partnership between Sri Lanka and Japan”, a tweet from Sri Lankan MFA said.
Country can save a lot on energy from initiative – Amaraweera By Ifham Nizam Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday said discussions and meetings of his Ministry would no longer be held inside buildings; instead, they would happen at Wana Arana in the Environment Ministry premises, he added. “We have sunlight for eight hours or so, […]
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Colombo (News 1st); Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay engaged in three high-level meetings including with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday.
The Hindu website reported that India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka had met with the President, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday.
The meetings came as Sri Lanka backed out of an agreement with India and Japan to develop the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port.
According to the report, the Indian envoy’s message was that Sri Lanka must adhere to the tripartite agreement with Japan and India to jointly develop the Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal.