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Nagapattinam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning virtually flagged off the ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanturai in Sri Lanka after 46 years. At the ceremony, PM Modi said that connectivity not only brings two cities but two countries together and also enhances trade and said it is an important milestone in strengthening the relations between the two countries.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday commenced the Ferry service between Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka’s Kankesanturai. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar joined the event virtually.
Union Ministers @sarbanandsonwal , @DrSJaishankar flagging off the ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu & Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka.@PMOIndia @narendramodi @Shantanu_bjp @Murugan_MoS @MEAIndia @shipmin_india @IndiainSL @evvelu @tourismgoi @PIB_ShipMin @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/2SnKDZqtKg
— PIB in Tamil Nadu (@pibchennai) October 14, 2023
“This ferry service brings alive all those historical and cultural connections. During the recent visit of President Wickremesinghe, we jointly adopted a vision document for our economic partnership. Connectivity is the central theme of this partnership. It is for bringing our countries closer. It enhances trade, tourism and people-to-people ties. It creates opportunities for the youth of both countries.In 2015, a direct flight between Delhi and Colombo was launched… Later, the first international flight landed in the pilgrim town of Kushinagar from Sri Lanka… The ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai is yet another important step in this direction, the PM said.
At the flag-off ceremony of the ferry service between Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka, PM Narendra Modi said, “Our vision for connectivity goes beyond the transport sector. India and Sri Lanka collaborate closely in a wide range of areas such as FinTech and energy. Digital payments have become a mass movement and a way of life in India due to UPI. We are working on FinTech sector connectivity by linking UPI and Lanka Pay…”
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe also reacted on the inaugration of the Ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanturai and said, “This is an important step in increasing the connectivity between India and Sri Lanka…The connectivity between the two countries was disrupted due to the war in the north and now peace has returned and we can reestablish the connectivity, I discussed this with PM Modi and I must thank him and the Indian shipping corporation for the role they have played in reestablishing this connectivity”
“This is truly a big step for people to people contacts between India and Sri Lanka…this is an affirmation of the people centric policies of the Modi govt that have helped both those in Tamil Nadu and those in Sri Lanka’s northern tropics…,” said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
