The Sri Lankan government claimed Wednesday that the Indian and Sri Lankan governments have agreed to conduct joint patrolling of the maritime border between the two South Asian nations.

Keheliya Rambukwella, the Minister of Foreign Employment and the government defense spokesman said "the Indian government has agreed in principal and the two governments will jointly work out a mechanism."

The issue of effective patrolling of the common maritime border was discussed last week by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukhrjee in New Delhi.

Sri Lanka wants the Indian Navy to assist the Sri Lankan Navy to prevent the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels from smuggling in weapons by sea route.

The Sri Lankan Navy says since September last year they have destroyed at least four suspected LTTE rebel arms ships in the high seas.

The Indian Navy said last month that they had arrested at least five LTTE members off its south eastern coast along with a cache of weapons and ammunition.

Source: Xinhua