No outright sale to China, Sri Lanka keen on Indian investment: Minister

MUMBAI: As India reaches out to China by easing rules to attract investment and build confidence, Sri Lanka is keen to attract investments from Delhi for its ports and civil aviation sector much on the lines that Beijing has invested in these key sectors in the island nation.

“Sri Lanka is redefining it’s identity -- as an Indian Ocean Region country besides being South Asian nation. Lanka is located in the pathways between Africa and Australia. It wants to leverage its relation with both India and China. We are keen on Indian investments in both ports and aviation sector,” Lankan MoS Foreign Affairs Harsha de Silva told ET in an exclusive interview.

De Silva was one the key speakers at the inaugural of Gateway of India dialogue (geo-economics dialogue) here organised by MEA and noted Mumbaibased think tank Gateway House. Allaying India’s fears about Chinese footprints in Sri Lanka, the junior minister claimed that Delhi’s security concerns from Beijing’s presence in the island nation have been addressed.

“The current government is not allowing outright sale of land to the Chinese investors,” said, De Silva, adding, “the erstwhile Rajapaksa government had created challenges in Delhi-Colombo that the Sirisena dispensation had addressed.”