Sri Lanka and India held discussions on the issue of fishermen and agreed that all fishermen need to be treated in a humane manner and not to use force against them in their respective territorial waters.
A Sri Lankan delegation led by Ranjith Uyangoda, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs met an Indian delegation led by T.S. Tirumurti, Joint Secretary (BSM), Ministry of External Affairs of India, in New Delhi during the 3rd India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group meeting on Fisheries held from March 28-29.
"Both sides reiterated the high priority given by their respective governments to issues of fishermen and their livelihood. They stressed the need for all fishermen to be treated in a humane manner," a joint statement from the India Ministry of External Affairs said.
To ensure the safety and security of fishermen, both sides agreed that use of force cannot be justified under any circumstances. The Sri Lankan side stressed the need to respect the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by both sides when fishing