The signing of the Indo-Lanka Bilateral Defence Co-operation Agreement is likely to be delayed in view of the growing protests, well informed sources said.

The sources said that Indian authorities had indicated to a Sri Lankan representative, deeply involved in the deliberations on the proposed agreement, that the signing would not take place in the near future.

"It may take over two years to sign the agreement," the sources said. But the delay in signing the agreement would not in any way restrict Indian co-operation, particularly support given to the Navy.

At the conclusion of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s recent visit to New Delhi, the two countries resolved to enter into a bilateral Defence Co-operation Agreement and a separate pact on the rehabilitation of the strategic Palaly airbase.
According to a joint communiqu`E9 issued at the end of the five-day visit, the agreement would be signed on a mutually convenient date.

The sources said that talks on the agreement got underway during the previous UNP government. The then Science and Technology Minister and key member of the government’s peace negotiating team Milinda Moragoda was responsible for initiating talks on this. Moragoda emphasised that a defence co-operation agreement would be of great importance, the sources said.

The UNP would remain committed to the proposed agreement, the sources said. "I am sure the UNP leadership would not change its stand on the proposed agreement. The LTTE led protests against the proposed agreement would not have an impact on the party’s stand," the sources said, acknowledging that the government and the UNP unanimously agree on the proposed agreement.

The TNA, on the orders of the LTTE, has repeatedly urged India not to go ahead with the agreement. TNA sources said that such an agreement would be detrimental to the interests of the Tamil speaking people, particularly at a time when the LTTE was demanding the setting up of an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) to facilitate the resumption of direct negotiations between the two parties.