Kachchativu is an integral part of Sri Lanka and it has always been so, the External Affairs Minister G L Peiris said in Parliament on Wednesday.
He was quoted in Sri Lankan media as saying that the Indian government has not made any claim on Kachchativu Islands and both Sri Lankan and Indian governments consider this issue as a settled matter.
“The 1974 agreement signed between the two governments formally confirmed Sri Lanka's sovereignty over Kachchativu island,” the Daily News said, quoting him.
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Prof Peiris quoted Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s statement in the Lok Sabha on August 26, to drive home his point that the Indian government accepted that the Kachchativu island lies on the Sri Lankan side of the Maritime boundary and considers it as a settled matter.