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

By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — 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. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the moratorium relates to all countries and give local researchers time to build capacity to be on a par with their foreign counterparts in joint research. But observers see it as a reaction to the Indian concerns. Last October, Chinese research ship Shi Yan 6 docked in Colombo port while in 2022 the navy vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked at southern Hambantota port.