Author: TELO Admin

Sri Lanka will complete the standard of procedure (SOP) for handling foreign research vessels within the next two months, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.

The island nation has dragged the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to handle research ships in the past two years after arrivals of Chinese research vessels into the island nation’s shore were strongly opposed by the United States and India citing possible security threat to the Indian Ocean.

“We have finalised the SOP and given it to Attorney General Department,” Minister Hearth told EconomyNext.

Facing international pressure, the previous Sri Lankan government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe imposed a one-year moratorium over foreign research vessels in December 2023.

Since it elapsed in January 2025 indecisiveness has dragged the decision on foreign research vessels, analysts say.

The pressure from India and the U.S., two QUAD members, came after two Chinese research vessels came to the island nation within 14 months.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led government’s cabinet in January 2025 decided to appoint a new committee to review the existing SOP and come up with a new SOP on the visits of all the foreign research ships.

The Committee led by Foreign Minister Herath was to come up with the criteria for SOP, but faced delay.

Sri Lanka has been facing diplomatic challenges in allowing foreign research vessels within its waters due to geopolitical issues related to India and China.

Sri Lanka and China have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on maritime cooperation amid Indian concerns over Chinese research ships visiting the Indian Ocean.

In April last year, Sri Lanka signed a Defence Cooperation MOU which said both neighbour countries will exchange information in maritime and other domains on mutual consent without elaborating.

Foreign Minister Herath last year said Sri Lanka does not have to take approval from India or inform the neighbour on visit of any foreign vessels. Government officials, however, have said some previous governments have maintained such practices to maintain better relationships with India.

The chief prelates of the three main Buddhist sects have emphasized that security forces must urgently carry out investigations and take legal action against drug networks and drug distributors who are allegedly and systematically recruiting young monks into illegal activities.

Issuing a joint statement, the Mahanayake Theros strongly condemned what they described as an unscriptural and illegal act committed by a group of monk impersonators who misused the Buddhist robe and engaged in drug trafficking.

They further stated that investigations will be conducted into all individuals involved in this act and those found guilty will be expelled from the monastic order.

The statement was signed by the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangalabhidhana Maha Thero, Maha Nayaka of the Malwathu Chapter of the Siam Sect; the Gnanarathana Abhidhana Maha Thero, Maha Nayaka of the Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Sect; the Most Venerable Makulawe Wimala Maha Thero, Maha Nayaka of the Ramanna Sect ; and the Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithrimurthi Maha Thero, Maha Nayaka of the Amarapura Sect

The statement further notes that all individuals involved in this illegal act, which they say has abused the traditional respect and acceptance given to monks in Sri Lankan society as well as the sacred devotion of Buddhists toward the Buddhist robe, should be duly punished.

It also highlights that this incident once again underscores the need to establish a proper mechanism to investigate such cases and expel from the order those who misuse the Buddhist identity and the robe for unlawful activities.

In addition, they have stated that every young monk should be continuously monitored, and if any conduct against the Sasana is observed, teachers and senior monks must investigate and take steps to guide such young monks towards proper discipline and restraint.

Earlier today, Sri Lanka Police has revealed that the 22 individuals who appeared to be monks, who were arrested with stocks of Kush and Hashish narcotics, will be detained for seven days for questioning, under detention orders.

The suspects are aged between 19 and 28.

The group was apprehended at the Bandaranayake International Airport in Katunayake by officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), while attempting to smuggle a massive haul of Kush and Hashish valued at over Rs. 1.1 billion.

The arrests were made based on an intelligence tip-off received by the PNB, as the group arrived at BIA in Katunayake from Thailand.

Chief Sanganayake of the Amarapura Sect (Southern Sri Lanka), Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said that despite three Presidents having left office and a fourth now in power, and with successive Governments coming and going, the shadow cast by the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks has still not been lifted.

Addressing the gathering at the seventh-year commemoration of the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks at the Kochchikade Shrine yesterday (21), Sobitha Thera said the incumbent Government has been given a golden opportunity to provide proper answers to the mystery that shrouded the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. He said that the public is eagerly awaiting the revelation of this dark truth.

“That is the task that must be fulfilled by the present Government and the President.” He said that it is the hope of all concerned, including victims and their families, that the President and the Government would deliver on this vital responsibility. Only then, he added, will all those who value peace be able to move forward with a sense of ease.

UN Resident Coordinator, Marc-André Franche said that the Easter attacks of 2019 had shaken the foundations of coexistence and peace in Sri Lanka, “sowing divisions between communities.” He noted that seven years on, families affected by the bombings are still waiting for answers. Accountability, he said, remained incomplete. “This moment, therefore, cannot be only about remembrance, but it must also be about resolve,” he pointed out.

Franche said that the seventh-year commemoration comes at a time when there is renewed momentum to advance the investigations, including the ongoing legal proceedings linked to the attacks. These steps, alongside public commitments by the Government, are important and welcomed, he noted. He said that what mattered now are results.

“Victims of the attacks deserved answers and the completion of the investigative and judicial process so that they could finally find closure. Strengthening and protecting the rule of law must remain central to this process, with due process, a fair trial, and credible and independent judicial proceedings which lead to a clear and credible outcome. Without this, closure for families and confidence in institutions will remain elusive,” he stressed.

He said the UN stood with the families and victims in advocating for a credible and transparent process, which is essential to create conditions for healing and for moving forward with dignity. The investigations into the Easter attacks are one of the many longstanding issues in Sri Lanka where accountability, due process, and the rule of law have been delayed, he observed.

Also, the Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka, Archbishop Andrzej Józwowicz said that the Easter Sunday remembrance is a cry for justice and not vengeance. “Justice that restores trust, that honours truth, and upholds the sanctity of every human life.”

As the Middle East conflict disrupts global energy markets, the long-dormant Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm project has shifted from a conceptual strategic goal to an urgent national security priority. Following high-level talks during Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan’s visit, officials emphasized that “no further time can be lost” on the 99-tank complex. The proposed India-Sri Lanka-UAE pipeline and grid integration now represent a critical transition from traditional aid-based relations to a modern, investment-driven energy partnership.

Trincomalee has been identified as a nodal point of cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the field of energy security. The 1987 Indo–Sri Lanka Accord marked the first formal reference to Indian involvement in the development of the Trincomalee oil tank farm. Trincomalee has been identified as a strategic location because of its deep-sea port.

Later, during the 2002–2004 period, India and Sri Lanka signed agreements allowing Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) involvement in fuel sales and distribution in Sri Lanka. However, this did not lead to the full development of the 99 tanks in the farm. Once again, in 2015, talks were launched for the revival of the project, with plans for expansion. When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Sri Lankan Parliament during an official visit in 2015, he referred to plans for the development of Trincomalee as a petroleum hub.

Seven years down the line, in 2023, the project took shape when Sri Lanka and India signed a formal agreement to jointly redevelop the Trincomalee Oil Tank Complex. A joint venture company, Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd (TPTL), was created.

In it, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation holds 51 percent and Lanka IOC (a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation) holds 49 percent. The agreement covers 61 tanks out of 99 for joint development.

In 2024 and 2025, the project took a new turn when India, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement to lay a pipeline linking Trincomalee with the southern part of India. The project is still in limbo, with little or no tangible progress on the ground.

Now, with Sri Lanka dealing with the fallout of the Middle East war, the country’s energy security has once again come into focus, and the pressing need for the implementation of the Trincomalee petroleum project in a meaningful way is being felt across the board. During the recent visit of Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, the matter was discussed.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who accompanied the Vice President, told a post-discussion press conference on Sunday evening that there was no time to lose on a strategic project such as this, but no timeline could be fixed for its conclusion given its complexity and significant financial requirements.

His remarks came in response to a question in this regard. “It’s a significant project. It’s something you are aware of. We have shared a considerable amount of information on this with Sri Lankan authorities. I can tell you that this was the subject of fairly detailed conversations, even today, between the two delegations at different levels.

One of the points that was made was that progress on this project would have stood in good stead, especially at a time like this when both energy prices and energy availability are becoming difficult issues for several countries around the world, especially in this region,” he said.

“Clearly, there is no further time to lose in making progress on strategic projects such as these. We have not yet established a timeline on this project, but discussions continue, given the fact that it is a complex project with significant financial outlays. It will take some time to finalise all the details,” he added.

He was quick to add that both sides had the opportunity to underline the importance of the project, its strategic nature, and the urgency behind it.

“We very much look forward to working with our Sri Lankan colleagues to take this idea further,” he said.

India and Sri Lanka have seen a transformation in bilateral relations in recent years, with a greater focus on connectivity and integration. Energy connectivity, including the interconnection of the two power grids, is a major component in this regard.

The Indian Foreign Secretary, who once served in Sri Lanka as Deputy High Commissioner, said that India has been emphasizing a shift from the traditional model of partnership between the two countries, dominated by aid and credit-tied assistance, to an investment-driven partnership.

“We have tried to encourage Indian business entities and commercial entities to look at opportunities in Sri Lanka. On that front, I think there has been one significant development recently, which is the investment in Colombo Dockyard,” he said.

It is an investment in a highly strategic sector, given the geographic positioning of Sri Lanka and India.

During the delegation-level talks during the Vice President’s visit, the two sides reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives, including progress on various development cooperation projects undertaken by India in Sri Lanka. The proposed energy pipeline was also discussed once again.

Energy sector cooperation between India and Sri Lanka is ongoing. India assisted Sri Lanka financially during the economic crisis to secure fuel supplies and has also assured fuel support during the current challenges. The two sides are yet to finalise the commercial model for the execution of the project.

The Trincomalee tank farm was constructed in the 1930s to supply the British Navy across the Indian Ocean and beyond. The facility houses 99 storage tanks. A pipeline that once connected the tanks with the jetty existed in the past, but no trace of it remains today. A feasibility study is needed to locate it.

Proponents of India–Sri Lanka energy connectivity argue that a multi-purpose pipeline will help reduce energy costs for Sri Lanka and strengthen regional energy security.

The Trincomalee energy hub is no longer a matter of strategic vision. It is fast becoming an urgency for execution.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance says cyber hackers gained unauthorized access to the computer system of the External Resources Department and carried out a theft involving a foreign currency payment.

The statement was issued hours after opposition figures alleged that USD 2.5 million in Treasury funds had been diverted during a foreign debt repayment.

In a statement issued today, the Ministry said it had already lodged complaints with law enforcement agencies and relevant institutions over the incident.

The Ministry said the matter relates to a foreign currency payment made in January 2026 and that it had informed the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police.

Following investigations, complaints were also lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

A preliminary internal inquiry has also been conducted, with necessary action taken and disciplinary proceedings initiated against several officials, the statement added.

The Ministry said it will continue to cooperate with ongoing investigations and provide further updates at an appropriate time, without disrupting current probes. (Newswire)