Bunker terminal has 'no military objective': Sri Lankan government minister
A Sri Lankan government minister had denied claims that the Hambantota port development and bunker terminal project has a military objective.
Ports minister Chamal Rajpakse was quoted in regional media as saying: "Some people are under the impression that the project could adversely impact the geo-strategic interests of some countries in the region. It is not true.”
He said the development of Hambantota was a commercial project and had “nothing to do with military objectives."
A Chinese state-run bank is providing the bulk of the finance needed for the project.
A senior Indian navy officer recently voiced concern that China’s intention was to build strategically-located ports for military purposes in the Indian Ocean region.
But Rajpakse, in his latest comments, repeated that Sri Lanka had “no other intentions" than to develop Hambantota commercially.
Sri Lanka formally signed a finance agreement with China’s Exim bank this month.
The Hambantota bunker terminal is a major part of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port Development Project.
Sri Lankan sources say they expect the bunker terminal to offer 180 centistoke (cst) bunker fuel and marine gasoil (MGO), and possibly 380 cst material.
The bunker terminal is expected to have an initial capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes (mt).
Ports minister Chamal Rajpakse was quoted in regional media as saying: "Some people are under the impression that the project could adversely impact the geo-strategic interests of some countries in the region. It is not true.”
He said the development of Hambantota was a commercial project and had “nothing to do with military objectives."
A Chinese state-run bank is providing the bulk of the finance needed for the project.
A senior Indian navy officer recently voiced concern that China’s intention was to build strategically-located ports for military purposes in the Indian Ocean region.
But Rajpakse, in his latest comments, repeated that Sri Lanka had “no other intentions" than to develop Hambantota commercially.
Sri Lanka formally signed a finance agreement with China’s Exim bank this month.
The Hambantota bunker terminal is a major part of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port Development Project.
Sri Lankan sources say they expect the bunker terminal to offer 180 centistoke (cst) bunker fuel and marine gasoil (MGO), and possibly 380 cst material.
The bunker terminal is expected to have an initial capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes (mt).