India welcomes Sri Lankan govt's nod to new energy deal

India and Sri Lanka "have reached an agreement to implement a joint development project" through diplomatic talks.

India on Thursday welcomed the Sri Lankan Cabinet's approval for a new deal for the two countries to jointly develop the Trincomalee oil tank farm.

During his weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi emphasised the importance of "energy security" and said, "We have seen reports that the Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved the development of the Trincomalee Tank Farms. Energy security is an important area of our bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka. We are in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka for the modernization of the Trincomalee Tank Farms. This will allow for the storage of fuel and will augment bilateral energy security."