Sri Lanka and India held talks on Thursday morning aimed at expediting the finalisation of the Memoranda of Understanding planned for the development of Kankesanthurai Port with Indian government assistance, Ada Derana and the Daily Mirror reported.
The discussion was held at the Ministry of Energy, Ports and Civil Aviation under Minister Anura Karunathilaka. A delegation representing the Indian government took part, led by Deputy High Commissioner of India Maitrey Kulkarni.
Also attending were Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, Ministry Secretary W.W.S. Mangala, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, ministry officials and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What was agreed
Both sides focused on several outstanding matters in the proposed MoUs, discussed them at length and reached agreement on a number of points, according to both reports. Neither said which issues had been holding the documents up.
Two oversight bodies were proposed: a Joint Monitoring Committee and a Technical Committee, to supervise and monitor implementation of the project.
The Indian delegation agreed to present the progress of the discussions to the Indian government at the earliest opportunity and to obtain a final decision promptly.
What the project is for
The redevelopment is expected to expand passenger and cargo transport between Sri Lanka and India and to strengthen maritime connectivity between the two countries. The ministry said it expects the project to improve port infrastructure in the Northern Province, lift regional economic activity and benefit the people of the province.
Kankesanthurai, on the northern coast near Jaffna, was a working commercial port before the war and has since operated at a fraction of its former capacity. It is the Sri Lankan terminal for the passenger ferry service to India, which has run intermittently — services were suspended in May after an engine failure left a vessel stranded off Nagapattinam, and the terminal was the site of a gold smuggling interception in June.
The timetable has slipped
The MoUs have been described as close to signature before. Following an inspection of the port’s condition in February 2026, Karunathilaka instructed ministry officials and the Ports Authority to take the steps needed to begin the project as soon as possible, and said at the time that the relevant MoUs would be signed within a short period. Seven months later they remain unsigned, and Thursday’s talks were convened to expedite them.
Not reported
Neither report gives the value of the Indian assistance, the funding terms, a construction timeline, or a target date for signing. Neither says whether the port would be operated as a joint venture or names any Indian entity involved. No cost estimate for the redevelopment appears in either account.
