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Modi assures on-arrival visas to Lankans

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13 March 2015 06:54 am - 20     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that beginning from the National New Year on April 14, India would grant visas to Sri Lankan tourists on arrival.


According to ‘The Hindu’, he also said that the complex fishing crisis between India and Sri Lanka involved livelihood and humanitarian concerns and both sides would need to find a long-term solution to this festering matter.


This morning, Prime Minister Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena inked four agreements including agreements on currency swap arrangements and on customs cooperation.


Meanwhile, the New Indian Express said PM Modi had also pledged to help Trincomalee become a regional energy hub.


“I see this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen our relationship in all its dimensions – political, strategic, economic, cultural, and above all, people to people contacts,” he had said in his pre-departure statement.


Modi will also address the Sri Lankan Parliament during his visit. He will be the first Indian Prime Minister and only the second foreign leader after British Premier David Cameron to visit Jaffna in the once war-ravaged Northern Province, where he will hand over homes built with Indian assistance.


Some 20,000 such homes were built in Jaffna described by India as “a flagship cooperation project currently in Sri Lanka”. He is also expected to meet leaders of the Tamil National Alliance and other political parties.

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  • rajanram Friday, 13 March 2015 04:15 PM

    Bless You Honourable Prime Minister Narendira Modi for granting arrival visa to Sri Lankans who are being humiliated for decades at the Indian High Commission Office. It was shame! Indian officials were harsh on Sri Lankan visitors for decades. Only to get visa for culturally and spiritually bonded neighbour, the poor families with children and elderly had to stand hours in the line for hours and get rejected. People with money can bypass all formalities. Thank you Mr Narendira Modi.

    ahamed Tuesday, 14 April 2015 04:15 PM

    today April 14th,but indian primeminister word not amended indian visa on arrival for srilankans, the colombo indian high com says we r not receive any order frm indian gov,t, what happn the prime minister told lie,or official say lie,ple reply me by the email ,okThanking you

    Ganesha Saturday, 14 March 2015 11:47 AM

    Fishing is not complex .Fishermen from Tamil Nadu are often encouraged by their Mudahalalis and local politicians, thus the problems. Very seldom or hardly any Srilankan fishermen poach the boundary. So PM Modi should sternly warn some morons in South India not to create troubles.Not idiotic shooting idea.

    gayan Saturday, 14 March 2015 10:49 AM

    We give trinco harbour, mannar oil field, fish resoures, 13

    arjun parameswaran Saturday, 14 March 2015 09:52 AM

    Ok guys..lets get a few things straight..Indian Bureaucracy is a big problem for Indians more than any body else..Mr Modi has himself admitted this and stated that the government in India has been following the ABCD policy..ie..Avoid..By pass..Confuse..Delay..im sure the situation is the same in all other south Asian governments...Mr Modi however wants to change this..his priorities are right and this is evident from his visit to Sri Lanka..i think we all must appreciate that..and though many politicians may not like to admit it in India..it is true that India did play an important role in helping Lanka defeat the menace of LTTE..

    pradeep Saturday, 14 March 2015 08:53 AM

    Sri Lanka government must make Sri Lankans be given visas on arrival in their respective countries. As it is on a reciprocal basis. Any countries giving visas to Sri Lankan on arrival must be reciprocated where as other countries who refuses visas to Sri Lankans on arrival, must not grant on arrival visa facilities so as to guarantee Sri Lankans dignity and honor.

    Lakshman De Silva Saturday, 14 March 2015 08:46 AM

    Trincomalee was a jealously guarded place by JRJ and before. Trincomalee is strategic port andn the existing of underwarter caves is idea to hide Submarines. USA,with a pretext of developing the Iol Tank farm and India who objected and financed the Tigers to prevent it. Foreign goverments wer trying to control Trinco by many disguised methods.Trincomalee has to be exclusiuvely operated by Sri Lanka only!

    alan Saturday, 14 March 2015 06:05 AM

    Yes, it is high time that we sri lankans are given visa on arrival.We as corporate heads are harassed by this system.Very ordinary Indian travellers are enjoying visa on arrival.

    Melanie Friday, 13 March 2015 08:25 PM

    This is funny.. Any diplomat can get a visa hassle free because its a red passport. Its shame if we discuss with India especially for getting diplomat visa free. How on earth that become important agreement between nation. Its automatic benefit most diplomats get when they travel on state business. Anyway, even if India grant all citizens, I prefer Singapore is the most generous country to Sri Lanka when it comes to visa. They issue visitor pass to us but not Indians..

    gamini Friday, 13 March 2015 05:15 PM

    In return, introduce federal system.....hik hik hi

    Senator Friday, 13 March 2015 01:26 PM

    He also said tourist visa for Sri Lankas on arrival.

    hiran Gunawardena Friday, 13 March 2015 04:06 PM

    keep it we not desperate to go toIndia the truth is they are all over srilanka. We should really control these mass influx via DM Android App

    navin Friday, 13 March 2015 02:38 PM

    Sunil,Did we negotiate with China? can you see how we are messed up because of China loans? we need Indian investment to pay the loans. because unlike china who donated us money for Tsunami for interest, Japan and India are the only country who donated us money for free

    mackie noohuthambi Friday, 13 March 2015 02:37 PM

    It is a welcome gesture, but sri lanka is far ahead in this matter. The announcement seems diplomatic not uniting the people to people as he says. Politics has its own way of interpretation.

    Giabao Friday, 13 March 2015 02:21 PM

    he could have made this service effective from April 1st ? LOL

    Citizen Friday, 13 March 2015 02:06 PM

    Why only for Diplomats. Any way they can get their visas without any issue. How come we allow all Indians visas on arrival.

    sunil Friday, 13 March 2015 02:00 PM

    With biometric technology available, it is no longer a problem to give visa on arrival in india to all sri lankans. Western passport holders can travel to over 180 countries without visa. Citizens of European countries can travel anywhere in Europe without visa, Why Sri Lankans are restricted like this despite close cultural ties with India. It appears we are doing 10 favours to Modi and getting only few in return. We must better negotiate and discuss with Modi.

    ExcuseMe Friday, 13 March 2015 01:59 PM

    I cannot understand what is so complex about the fishing problem, there are boundaries and all the fishermen have to do is respect those boundaries, if Indian fishermen violate Sri Lankan waters, and vice versa, they must be dealt with according to the law, I believe if the local and central governments stop giving protection to these violators, the problem will ease off.

    Parakum Friday, 13 March 2015 01:55 PM

    Where is Mr.Champika Ranawaka who spoke so much against the Sampur Coal Plant?

    Gura Friday, 13 March 2015 01:38 PM

    First, we need to cancel all the Diplomatic Passports of the friends, relatives, neighbours, wives, and common people walking down the street who were associated with the previous regime.


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