The Indian government will hold talks with Sri Lanka on the $5.19bn project to link the island’s North-East to neighbouring Tamil Nadu by the end of October.
According to PTI, official sources said secretary-level talks between the two countries have been decided by October to take forward the project, involving the construction of a sea bridge and an under-water tunnel linking 22 km stretch between Talaimannar and Dhanushkodi.
"The officer level meeting will include apprising Sri Lanka about the developments related to implementing BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement. The pact aims at facilitating cross border movement of all types of vehicles in the region. Since there is a provision of other countries in the region joining the pact, Sri Lanka may like to consider this for further improving connectivity between the region," an official said.
India wants Sri Lanka to join the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, which is aimed at providing seamless flow of traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week, where they discussed the road link.
"Multi-lateral funding agency ADB, which has already agreed to finance infrastructure projects worth about USD 8 billion for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) region, has also shown keen interest in financing USD 5.19 billion India-Sri Lanka proposed project," a source told PTI last week.
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