Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says the Trincomalee oil farm project and the India–Sri Lanka oil pipeline were discussed during Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan’s visit to Sri Lanka.
Addressing the media in Colombo on Sunday (19), Misri said the planned oil hub in the northeastern port of Trincomalee was taken up in a meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
He noted that the project, which also involves the United Arab Emirates, has been under discussion since 2023. While there is no timeline yet, he described it as a strategic initiative with a significant final outlay.
“There is no further time to lose in making progress on strategic projects such as these,” Misri said, adding that both sides agreed on the need to get the project off the ground quickly.
He remarked that had the energy hub been completed, it could have been particularly useful “at a time like this,” referring to the impact of the Middle East conflict.
Sri Lanka, India, and the UAE signed an agreement a year ago, following two years of talks, to establish a multi‑product oil pipeline connecting the two South Asian neighbours and to set up the Trincomalee oil storage complex. (Newswire/Economic Times)