U.S. Ships to Refuel in Sri Lanka
- Share via
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka will allow American military aircraft and ships to refuel and be serviced in its territory, a U.S. Embassy official said Monday.
The agreement comes amid U.S. support for a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire between the nation’s government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas to end nearly two decades of conflict. But the embassy official played down the level of cooperation the pact entails.
“Planes and ships of each nation can go to the other nation for refueling, minor servicing and repairs at cost or a payment in kind,” said Stephen Holgate, public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the capital.
“Clearly when you sign an agreement, that implies a certain level of cooperation and closeness, but this is not a quantum leap,” he said, denying local newspaper reports that the deal would allow the U.S. to build bases on this island nation in the Indian Ocean.
“This is the sort of agreement we have with scores of countries around the world,” he said.
U.S. warships rarely make refueling stops in Sri Lanka.
The Hopper, a guided missile destroyer, stopped at the island last month. It was the first U.S. ship to make a port call in Sri Lanka in eight years.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.