Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping L.P. Jayampathi says Sri Lanka and Switzerland have inked a Memorandum of Understanding to provide employment opportunities to Sri Lankan navy personnel in Switzerland.
Director General of the Merchant Shipping Secretariat Ajith Seneviratne and Switzerland’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Heinz Walker-Nederkoorn signed the MOU in the presence of Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga at the Merchant Shipping Secretariat Office recently. This is the first ever agreement signed regarding the subject of maritime relations between the two nations.
The Secretary says under the MoU, in the near future Sri Lankan sailors will get the opportunity to sail in Swiss flagged ships. However, Mr. Seneviratne added that when a Sri Lankan sailor is serving for a foreign ship, the Sri Lankan certification is not sufficient.
Therefore, the necessity arises to obtain the ‘Certificate of Recognition’, which will be recognized by that ship’s specific nation. In order to obtain this Certificate of Recognition, MOU between the nations or pledge between the two nations should be constructed, he explained. Sri Lanka has already signed 29 such agreements. The arrangement with Switzerland is the latest.
