Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2023-02-13

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Search and Rescue Agency of the Republic of Indonesia and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

- Sri Lanka, as a signatory state to the Chicago Convention of International Civil Aviation Organization, is obliged and responsible to provide Air Navigation Services/Air Traffic Services, Flight Information Services and Alerting Services for all aircraft flying across the airspace of this country. Sri Lanka and Indonesia are neighboring states that share the south-eastern boundary of the Colombo Flight Information Region. The responsibilities of search and rescue operations in that region have been vested with Sri Lanka. According to the Chicago Convention of International Civil Aviation Organization, in order to strengthen the cooperation and coordination of search and rescue activities, it is necessary for adjacent States to enter into agreements with neighboring countries setting forth the conditions for entry of search and rescue units into their respective territories. As such, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed for a period of 05 years between the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and the National Search and Rescue Agency of the Republic of Indonesia in the year 2018 and the said period has now become ended. The proposal made by the Minister Ports, Shipping and Aviation to extend the period of said MoU for a further period of 05 years with effect from 2023‑01‑23, in order to continue the corporation between the two parties, was approved by the Cabinet.