President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Sunday that the Indian government has acknowledged before its Supreme Court that Katchatheevu island belongs to Sri Lanka.
He was speaking at a public rally in the North Western Province, part of a series of rallies held by the ruling National People’s Power coalition to mark two years of his administration.
“We maintain good bilateral relations with India,” he said. He repeated that Sri Lanka “will never allow its airspace, land, or sea to be used in a manner that poses a threat to our neighbour, India”.
Last week India’s Supreme Court heard petitions challenging the ceding of the island to Sri Lanka in the 1970s. Indian Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the court that India did not intend to reopen the 1974 and 1976 agreements, according to news reports.
The court also said India and Tamil Nadu must make fishermen aware that they should not cross into Sri Lankan waters, an issue that has led to repeated arrests by the Sri Lanka Navy.
The case is due to be heard next in February 2027.
