Lanka appoints team

27 July 2010 11:19 am - 14 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Jamila Najmuddin

The Sri Lankan government is investigating to see if the request put forward by the Maldives to the UN seeking an expansion of its continental shelf will overlap the sea area demarcated by Sri Lanka in a similar request to the world body.

Officials from the Legal Division of the Foreign Ministry told Daily Mirror online that a technical team has been appointed by the Sri Lankan government to study the area to verify if both demarcated areas overlap each other and if found to be true will resort to dialogue with the Maldivian government.

A report on the findings is also expected to be handed over to the Foreign Ministry Secretary soon.

The Maldives will demand 168,000 square kilometers off the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country as its extended continental shelf, its Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said.

Maldives will file a case at the UN today for 148,000 square kilometers off the north and 20,000 square kilometers off the west.

“By the grace of God, our 45th Independence Day is a day that we will amend some issues and expand the Maldives area, especially that we would officially file a case at UN to get the extended continental shelf that we should get,” the Minister said.

The extended continental shelf claimed by Maldives contradicts with the portion claimed by neighboring Sri Lanka last year. Dr Shaheed, however, expressed hope that the disputes “over a small area” would be resolved through dialogue.

“I believe that we will find a solution through negotiations soon, as Maldives and Sri Lanka have always maintained close relations,” he said.

Sri Lanka formally presented its claim for sovereignty over an extended continental shelf around the island under international law to the UN last year.

The claim, if successful, would give Sri Lanka control over potential hydrocarbon and mineral deposits on the seabed. (Daily Mirror online)

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Comments - 14

thusi Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:30 AM

This much of sea area for 300,000 people.... No way....

ajith Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:05 PM

May be they are planning to built a giant sea barrier against a possible Tsunami!!!!
Remember their main income is Tourism.

Piraba Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:23 PM

Maldives will be sunk in year 2020 and what's the big deal. I heard that Maldives people started to migrate to Vanni area ??

Ruwan Tuesday, 27 July 2010 01:00 PM

Their main income tourisum,main food depand on sea....

Geronimo Tuesday, 27 July 2010 01:01 PM

If SL is looking to fight another war considering the mammoth
security budget it has allocated, this may be it !!!!!!!!

kayesenar Tuesday, 27 July 2010 01:15 PM

thusi has said and thats the end of it no more discussion by Maldivians or UN

Practical Tuesday, 27 July 2010 02:15 PM

Yeah ... you show them, thushi!

Mushi Tuesday, 27 July 2010 05:10 PM

one day all maldivians will be sri lankans when Maldives disappears in the map with the sea erosion. Then whole sea belongs to SL...

Niyaz Tuesday, 27 July 2010 05:55 PM

Ausstralia has alocated land for Maldivians. when the sea erosion happens you can go there not to Srilanka.

moo Wednesday, 28 July 2010 02:17 AM

Well Maldivians and Srilankans has existed through our close relationship. This will also be negotiated for a good. If Maldives goes underwater probably 1/3 of Sri lanka including Colombo area Jaffna, Matara, Hambabntota will also go underwater just like parts of Europe and America.

colombofish Wednesday, 28 July 2010 03:19 AM

No matter how much we take the parts from seabed, if the sea level rises Maldivians or Sri Lankans will end up in the sea. Better to promote swimming for whole nation from now itself.

Top Sri Lankan Wednesday, 28 July 2010 04:18 AM

GREED - there is no end to it. Maldivians are negotiating only a sea area, Fellows watch out for the CHINESE and the INDIANS, I hope that we don't end up in the Maldives or some african countries.

thusi Wednesday, 28 July 2010 04:36 AM

Then.... This much of sea for how much food?? They can get 100 times more food than they need from this size of the Sea area.

kcey Wednesday, 28 July 2010 07:50 AM

well if they are crossing our boundary it is not acceptable, Maldives is a small country and has a small population compared SL. Maldivians have already bought properties in Sri Lanka which the government should not allow expats to buy our land. I think our government should think twice before making a decesion.

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Lanka appoints team

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