Sri Lankan envoy meets Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, discusses fishermen's issues
Jun 04, 2022
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 4 : Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday in Chennai and discussed the relationship between Sri Lanka and the State of Tamil Nadu, including the fishermen's issues.
This was the first time that a Sri Lankan High Commissioner met with the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu after 2011 and held a dialogue.
"The High Commissioner and the Chief Minister discussed an array of areas pertaining to the relationship between Sri Lanka and the State of Tamil Nadu, including the fishermen's issue," the Sri Lankan High Commission said in a statement.
"The courtesy call on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by the High Commissioner came as part of the latter's plan to expand Sri Lanka's footprint at the state level to promote greater interactions between Sri Lanka and the state of India as stipulated in his policy road map the "Integrated Country Strategy for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India," he added.
At the outset, the Chief Minister extended a warm welcome to the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, following which the Sri Lankan envoy thanked the Chief Minister and the people of Tamil Nadu for the humanitarian assistance worth LKR two billion that they recently extended to Sri Lanka to help it manage the current economic situation.
In response, Stalin stated that he was concerned with the situation in Sri Lanka and had made arrangements to immediately dispatch the first shipment of essential commodities. A second shipment is also in line to be dispatched and a few more shipments are expected, he added.
Moreover, the two dignitaries also reviewed the ancient and strong ethnic, cultural and religious affinities between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka and discussed the ways to further strengthen them, pertaining to which Chief Minister Stalin requested Sri Lanka to install a statue of the celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar in suitable premises in the island country, such as a university.
The High Commissioner welcomed the suggestion made by the Chief Minister.
With a view to having better coordination on all aspects of the relationship between Sri Lanka and the State of Tamil Nadu, High Commissioner Moragoda requested the Chief Minister to designate a focal point at the state level in return of which, Moragoda invited Chief Minister Stalin to visit Sri Lanka as well.
High Commissioner Moragoda also presented a copy of the Tamil translation of the book containing his parliamentary speeches to the Chief Minister. The High Commissioner recalled how he had presented a copy of the same book to the father of Chief Minister Stalin, late M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in 2006.
High Commissioner Moragoda was accompanied by the Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Southern India Dr D. Venkateshwaran, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Niluka Kadurugamuwa and Second Secretary of the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai Supun Deshaprema to this meeting.
The Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government Irai Anbu and several other key State officials were also present in the meeting.
