Maritime pacts with India no threat to our national security: Lanka

Colombo, March 30

The Sri Lankan government has asserted that the recently signed maritime security pacts with India will “neither result in hindrance nor threat” to the island nation’s security as “misinterpreted” by several media outlets in this country.

During the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here this week, a MoU was signed to set up a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). “The establishment of MRCC is highly essential to instantly respond to the search and rescue services of vessels in distress operating in the region and ensure safety of vessels in compliance to various international conventions,” the defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka Navy is the authority responsible for conducting Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for commercial ships around the island’s SAR region, it said. —