Colombo had earlier said that 49 percent of the operations at the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port would be controlled by India and Japan

India has asked Sri Lanka to adhere to international commitments related to the development of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port, days after the island country decided to pull out of the deal.

“Our High Commissioner in Colombo is in discussion with the Government of Sri Lanka, including on the importance of adhering to international commitments,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during a weekly media briefing on Thursday.

“We sincerely believe that development of infrastructure in Sri Lanka in areas such as ports and energy with foreign investments from India and Japan will be mutually beneficial proposition,” the MEA Spokesperson said.

Colombo had earlier said that 49 percent of the operations at the port would be controlled by India and Japan.

In May 2019, India, Sri Lanka and Japan had signed a deal for the development and operation of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port under a trilateral framework agreement.

But on Tuesday, the Sri Lankan government cancelled the deal, saying the facility will be completely owned and operated by the state-run Sri Lanka Port Authority.

In the meanwhile, there are reports suggesting Sri Lanka has offered India and Japan a proposal to develop the West Container Terminal at the same facility on a public private partnership model.