Sources note that a proposal on the Colombo harbour to be offered on lease was submitted to the cabinet, and President Maithreepala Sirisena had opposed this notion.
Minister of Ports and Shipping and Naval affairs, Mahinda Samarasinghe had proposed this submitting a cabinet paper as a project of the Sri Lanka ports authority and it has been reported that the prime minister and minister Malik Samarawickrama have expressed their views on discussions already being underway on a leasing to India.
It has been reported that the president had argued that when the Hambanthota port has been already leased to China, if the East terminal of the Colombo port is also handed over to India, Sri Lanka would not have a port to dock a ship when required.
Therefore, it has been reported that the president would discuss with the Indian prime minister on resolving this issue and rejecting the proposal.
The president had also iterated the importance of the East terminal of the Colombo port being maintained by the Sri Lanka ports authority.