The Sri Lankan government will explore appropriate measures and take all necessary steps to safeguard its interests in the proposed Sethusamudram ship canal project undertaken by the Indian government, foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told parliament here Thursday.

Kadirgamar said although India had sought no prior approval from Sri Lanka for the project, "we have raised our concerns relating to the project's likely transfrontier impact on Sri Lanka especially in environment and livelihood areas."

India last week kicked off the project to dredge a navigable sea channel between the two countries which will allow Indian vessels to avoid sailing some 400 miles around Sri Lanka on trips between the east and west coast of India.

Sri Lankan shipping circles have expressed reservations about the possible commercial implications as a result of the project.

Kadirgamar however said "the project should be treated both as a challenge and an opportunity and that the complementarities generated could be exploited by our shipping industry."

The Sri Lankan foreign minister said the government is committed to continuing the process of consultations with the Indian government to ensure that Sri Lankan concerns are addressed and any negative effects mitigated.

Source: Xinhua