Tamil Nadu: A ferry service between Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka's Kankesanturai was flagged off by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also joined the event virtually.
Addressing the event via video conferencing, PM Modi said, "This ferry service brings alive all those historical and cultural connections. During the recent visit of President Wickremesinghe, we jointly adopted a vision document for our economic partnership. Connectivity is the central theme of this partnership... It is for bringing our countries closer... It enhances trade, tourism and people-to-people ties. It creates opportunities for the youth of both countries... In 2015, a direct flight between Delhi and Colombo was launched... Later, the first international flight landed in pilgrim town of Kushinagar from Sri Lanka... The ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai is yet another important step in this direction..."
"Our vision for connectivity goes beyond the transport sector. India and Sri Lanka collaborate closely in a wide range of areas such as FinTech and energy. Digital payments have become a mass movement and a way of life in India due to UPI. We are working on FinTech sector connectivity by linking UPI and Lanka Pay...," the Prime Minister added.
Speaking on the occasion, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said, "This is an important step in increasing the connectivity between India and Sri Lanka...The connectivity between the two countries was disrupted due to the war in the north and now peace has returned and we can reestablish the connectivity, I discussed this with PM Modi and I must thank him and the Indian shipping corporation for the role they have played in reestablishing this connectivity."
"This is truly a big step for people to people contacts between India and Sri Lanka...this is an affirmation of the people centric policies of the Modi govt that have helped both those in Tamil Nadu and those in Sri Lanka's northern tropics...," said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
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