Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said that Sri Lanka was looking forward to accept the Air Defence System provided by India to safeguard the aerial territory of Sri Lanka. He also noted with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh that exchange of visits by senior defence and security officials had contributed to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Kadirgamar was speaking at the press briefing held at the Foreign Ministry soon after the conclusion of the 6th session of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission.
Responding to the comments made by Kadirgamar, Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh expressed satisfaction over the defence and security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka and announced that as part of the cooperation the first batch of around 450 Sri Lankan Police personnel will be trained in India.
According to the joint statement issued by the Indian and the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministers the next meeting of experts on the Sethusamudram Canal project in the Palk Strait area will be held at an early date preferably in July. The meeting will focus on environmental concerns with a view to reaching a common understanding for addressing them.
The two sides also agreed to explore avenues for closer economic cooperation between the two countries on either side of the Palk Strait. The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar expressed his appreciation to the Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and his delegation for the Cooperation extended in reaching a successful conclusion of the Joint Commission and for undertaking a visit to Sri Lanka.
It was also agreed that the 7th session of the Sri Lanka-India Joint Commission should be held in India, on a date convenient to both sides.
(http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/06/12/sec03.html)
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