The Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 has been given permission to dock in Sri Lanka, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry said.
He said the Sri Lankan Government has permitted the Chinese vessel to dock in November, although China has sought a port call in October.
He said this during the “360” current affairs programme on TV Derana last night (09).
“They asked us for permission to come in October. We told them to come in November. Then they asked again to come at the end of October. But we are still in the same position as before,” he said.
Question: Can you ask them to visit in November when they have made a request to visit in October?
“China is vital. We maintain many important relations with China. At the same time, we also have to think about our country. After considering all of that, we have given them a timeframe to visit. This is not a simple visit with no significance. We have to be prepared for this. We have given a date after looking at the internal facts. As an independent country, we can say at what time they can come or not. We make decisions with an understanding,” he said.
