Sri Lanka on Thursday agreed on two main agreements of diplomatic interest with China and India as the country continues its balancing act of diplomacy and foreign partnership.

The first was the Trincomalee oil tank farm agreement which was signed earlier in the evening on Thursday.&nbsp;In a tweet, Sri Lanka’s energy minister Udaya Gammanpila said, "agreements to develop Trinco oil tank farm were signed this evening."&nbsp;

The signatories were the treasury secretary for the Lankan government,&nbsp;land commissioner-general, CPC, LIOC &amp; Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd.

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A new milestone in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SriLanka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SriLanka</a> economic and energy partnership!!Congratulations to all parties on signing the Agreement to develop Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms. Sincerely appreciate the guidance from leadership of 🇮🇳&amp;🇱🇰 and support from all Ministers and officials concerned. <a href="https://t.co/HQALQJeGSu">pic.twitter.com/HQALQJeGSu</a>
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainSL/status/1479119115566530561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The minister highlighted that 85 of 99 tanks will be under Sri Lankan control which were under Indian control.

The new agreement will be presented to the cabinet on January 10&nbsp;and will be tabled in Parliament on January 18.&nbsp;The strategically located oil tank farm was built in the 1920s by the British who were ruling Sri Lanka at the time.

A hundred&nbsp;tanks were built across 827 acres and each tank can hold 10,000 MT of fuel.

Also in another diplomatic agreement that took place late evening on Thursday,&nbsp;the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka agreed to pay a sum $6.9 million&nbsp;to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.&nbsp;

The order preventing the payment was dissolved based on a settlement agreed by both parties as the Colombo Commercial High Court dissolved an order preventing the payment to a Chinese company for imported fertilizer.

As per the new settlement,&nbsp;People’s Bank would release 75 per cent&nbsp;of the consignment cost to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co&nbsp;Ltd under a Letter of Credit and&nbsp;Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd will obtain and provide certification for the raw material ingredients&nbsp;and arrange fresh samples of a new consignment of organic fertilizer to be tested.

According to the terms of the contract, the samples should be free of pathogens and to ship the consignment only after the tested samples have been found to be in compliance with the Plant Protection Act, No. 35 of 1999, and after an import permit is obtained for the bulk shipment.

The amount released by People’s Bank will be set off after Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co&nbsp;Ltd ships&nbsp;the second consignment.

This decision comes on the brink of an official visit by the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi who will arrive in the Island on January 8. 
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Sri Lanka on Thursday agreed on two main agreements of diplomatic interest with China and India as the country continues its balancing act of diplomacy and foreign partnership.

Sri Lanka on Thursday agreed on two main agreements of diplomatic interest with China and India as the country continues its balancing act of diplomacy and foreign partnership. The first was the Trincomalee oil tank farm agreement which was signed earlier in the evening on Thursday. In a tweet, Sri Lanka’s energy minister Udaya Gammanpila said, "agreements to develop Trinco oil tank farm were signed this evening." The signatories were the treasury secretary for the Lankan government, land commissioner-general, CPC, LIOC & Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd. A new milestone in #India-#SriLanka economic and energy partnership!!Congratulations to all parties on signing the Agreement to develop Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms. Sincerely appreciate the guidance from leadership of 🇮🇳&🇱🇰 and support from all Ministers and officials concerned. pic.twitter.com/HQALQJeGSu — India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) January 6, 2022 × The minister highlighted that 85 of 99 tanks will be under Sri Lankan control which were under Indian control. The new agreement will be presented to the cabinet on January 10 and will be tabled in Parliament on January 18. The strategically located oil tank farm was built in the 1920s by the British who were ruling Sri Lanka at the time. A hundred tanks were built across 827 acres and each tank can hold 10,000 MT of fuel. Also in another diplomatic agreement that took place late evening on Thursday, the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka agreed to pay a sum $6.9 million to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. The order preventing the payment was dissolved based on a settlement agreed by both parties as the Colombo Commercial High Court dissolved an order preventing the payment to a Chinese company for imported fertilizer. As per the new settlement, People’s Bank would release 75 per cent of the consignment cost to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co Ltd under a Letter of Credit and Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd will obtain and provide certification for the raw material ingredients and arrange fresh samples of a new consignment of organic fertilizer to be tested. According to the terms of the contract, the samples should be free of pathogens and to ship the consignment only after the tested samples have been found to be in compliance with the Plant Protection Act, No. 35 of 1999, and after an import permit is obtained for the bulk shipment. The amount released by People’s Bank will be set off after Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co Ltd ships the second consignment. This decision comes on the brink of an official visit by the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi who will arrive in the Island on January 8.

Sri Lanka's tough balancing act: Oil tanks for India, compensation for Chinese fertiliser

India has sent 100 tonnes of Nano Nitrogen fertiliser to Sri Lanka in the backdrop of latter barring the use of contaminated Chinese fertilisers.

Sri Lanka had barred shipment of Chinese organic fertiliser after it was found to be contaminated with bacteria, a development that has miffed Beijing which was quick to blacklist People’s Bank of Sri Lanka in a quid pro quo move. The People's Bank is the second largest commercial bank in Sri Lanka.

Indian supplies reached on two Indian Air force Globemaster aircraft on Thursday, which was Diwali day. The supplies were requested by Sri Lankan government.

A release by the Indian high commission in Colombo said, "the deployment was essentially to support the government of Sri Lanka's initiative towards organic farming and to expedite availability of Nano Nitrogen fertiliser to the Sri Lankan farmers".

The C17 aircraft operations were coordinated in close liaison with Sri Lanka Air Force.

The Indian mission pointed out that the close coordination between the two services led to the "quick deployment....and expeditious disembarkation" of IAF aircraft.

The Indian crew was received by Chief of Staff,&nbsp;Sri Lanka Air Force AVM Prasanna Payoe.

This is not for the first time that New Delhi has reached out to Colombo as part of its "Neighbourhood First' policy" and 'First Responder' in the region.

Indian Navy and Coast Guard have promptly responded to several crises in Sri Lanka such as containing the fire onboard MT New Diamond and MV XPress Pearl.

India also sent 100 T Liquid Medical Oxygen during the fourth wave of Covid pandemic via INS Shakti.

Supplies of vaccines and medicines from India to Sri Lanka have been key element of ties amid the Covid crisis.

New Delhi has provided 1 million doses of Covishield vaccine to Sri Lanka with 50% of it being gifted by India.

India has sent 100 tonnes of Nano Nitrogen fertiliser to Sri Lanka in the backdrop of latter barring the use of contaminated Chinese fertilisers. Sri Lanka had barred shipment of Chinese organic fertiliser after it was found to be contaminated with bacteria, a development that has miffed Beijing which was quick to blacklist People’s Bank of Sri Lanka in a quid pro quo move.

India has sent 100 tonnes of Nano Nitrogen fertiliser to Sri Lanka in the backdrop of latter barring the use of contaminated Chinese fertilisers. Sri Lanka had barred shipment of Chinese organic fertiliser after it was found to be contaminated with bacteria, a development that has miffed Beijing which was quick to blacklist People’s Bank of Sri Lanka in a quid pro quo move. The People's Bank is the second largest commercial bank in Sri Lanka. Indian supplies reached on two Indian Air force Globemaster aircraft on Thursday, which was Diwali day. The supplies were requested by Sri Lankan government. A release by the Indian high commission in Colombo said, "the deployment was essentially to support the government of Sri Lanka's initiative towards organic farming and to expedite availability of Nano Nitrogen fertiliser to the Sri Lankan farmers". The C17 aircraft operations were coordinated in close liaison with Sri Lanka Air Force. The Indian mission pointed out that the close coordination between the two services led to the "quick deployment....and expeditious disembarkation" of IAF aircraft. The Indian crew was received by Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force AVM Prasanna Payoe. This is not for the first time that New Delhi has reached out to Colombo as part of its "Neighbourhood First' policy" and 'First Responder' in the region. Indian Navy and Coast Guard have promptly responded to several crises in Sri Lanka such as containing the fire onboard MT New Diamond and MV XPress Pearl. India also sent 100 T Liquid Medical Oxygen during the fourth wave of Covid pandemic via INS Shakti. Supplies of vaccines and medicines from India to Sri Lanka have been key element of ties amid the Covid crisis. New Delhi has provided 1 million doses of Covishield vaccine to Sri Lanka with 50% of it being gifted by India.

India sends in 100 tonne fertiliser to Sri Lanka amid Colombo's row with China over contamination

Hippo Spirit vessel, also sailing as Seiyo Explorer, has entered the Sea of Sri Lanka. The ship is carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of rejected Chinese fertilisers from the Qingdao Seawin Biotech group.

'Hippo spirit' vessel containing faulty Chinese fertilisers enters Sri Lankan waters