India keen on refinery in Sri Lanka

India is keen to establish refinery and bunkering operations in Sri Lanka, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today and hoped the country will once again be in a position to export petroleum products to Bangladesh with the commissioning of Paradip refinery.

The minister stated this during bilateral meetings with Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Energy Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Anoma Gamage, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development of Sri Lanka in Bhubaneswar today.

Both were in Bhubaneswar to participate in a ceremony at Paradip where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be dedicating the Indian Oil refinery to the nation tomorrow.

During his meeting with the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development, Pradhan discussed issues such as expansion activities of Lanka IOC, in Sri Lanka, including in the retail business, bunkering and marketing of ATF and LPG, according to the release.

Lanka IOC is a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

Pradhan reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to work with Sri Lanka to make Trincomalee a regional energy hub.

Expressing India’s interest in establishing refinery and bunkering operations in Sri Lanka, Pradhan exuded confidence that both Sri Lanka and India would work in a spirit of partnership in the hydrocarbon sector.

During the meetings, senior officials from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka dealing with oil and gas sector were present.

Source: PTI

-Agencies