New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) India is ‘closely monitoring’ the activities of China that has been showing ‘more than normal interest’ in the Indian Ocean region, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Tuesday in the Lok Sabha.
‘The government of India has come to realise that China has been showing more than the normal interest in the Indian Ocean affairs. So we are closely monitoring the Chinese intentions,’ Krishna said.
The minister said that India was ‘closely monitoring the developments in the Indian Ocean’ and assured the house that India’s territorial integrity and the welfare of its fishermen would be safeguarded.
The statement, which didn’t specify what he termed as ‘more than normal interest’, came in response to a calling attention motion on recent attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.
He was apparently referring to increasing engagement of China in projects in Sri Lanka and other countries in the Indian Ocean.
DMK’s T.R. Baalu asked the government to revisit the 1974 India-Sri Lanka agreement on Katchathivu island and increase patrolling in the waters to protect Indian fishermen from the onslaught of Sri Lankan Navy.
The minister ruled out changing the pact, saying ‘we cannot go back on the solemn agreement between two governments’.
‘Sri Lanka is a friendly country, an aspect that is needed to be kept in mind,’ he said, adding he was planning to travel to the island nation in October when issues related to fishermen would be discussed.
