Sri Lanka declares moratorium on research ships for a year amid Indian concerns over Chinese vessels

Sri Lanka has declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels docking in its neighborhood

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka has declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels docking in its neighborhood.

Though the moratorium comes ostensibly for capacity building it is seen as a reaction to growing concerns in India.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Niluka Kadurugamuwa told The Associated Press on Friday that the moratorium relates to all countries and will allow local researchers to build capacity be on a par with their foreign counterparts in joint researches.

Chinese ships have docked in Colombo in recent years for research based on agreements between between agencies in China and Sri Lanka.

Last October, Chinese research ship Shi Yan 6 docked in Colombo port for several days, while in 2022 the navy vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked at Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka. There were fears in India that these vessels could be used to monitor the region.