NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka has invited Indian companies to participate in its port development projects and other infrastructure building programmes.

The visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his meeting with Union Shipping and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari discussed the prospects of Indian companies in building two to three ports in Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe wants Indian companies develop a few ports in Sri Lanka including Colombo Port and Gadkari conveyed his willingness to partner and cooperate in developing their port and other infrastructure, a Road Transport Ministry official told PTI. The official said the Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressed keenness that Indian companies should participate in developing ports there and it will be decided whether to proceed on government to government basis or not. Also, Sri Lanka wanted India to develop ferry service between Rameshwaran and Sri Lanka. Indian subcontinent is playing a vital role in the business of Colombo Port accounting for 70 to 75 per cent of its trans-shipment business. Earlier, Gadkari had said that India is set to build a sea-bridge and tunnel connecting Sri Lanka and the Asian Development Bank is ready to fully finance a bridge building project connecting Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka. The India-Sri Lanka connectivity project cost was pegged at about Rs 24,000 crore. “The Government, right from the day it assumed office, has been focused on enhancing regional cooperation. Subsequent to PM’s announcement of ‘Act East policy’, India pro-actively engaged in building effective and credible links between South Asia and South East Asia through enhanced regional connectivity,” Gadkari has said.—PTI