Colombo, Jul 18 (IANS): India-Sri Lanka Joint Committee, established under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on passenger transportation by sea, held a virtual meeting on July 14, Indian High Commission in Colombo has said.

"The two sides were led respectively by Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Government of India and K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation of the Government of Sri Lanka," the High Commission said in a statement on Monday.

The discussions had focused on the resumption of ferry services between the two countries connecting mutually agreed points and both sides had agreed that restoring ferry services would boost regional trade and tourism and promote stronger people-to-people ties.

"The Joint Committee identified a number of areas for mutual cooperation for operationalization of ferry services in the near future, and desired to take further steps based on mutual understanding," it stated.

The Joint Committee representing the two governments under the provisions of the bilateral MoU on passenger transportation by sea was signed in 2011.

The British Colonial era ferry service, the Indo-Ceylon Express or Boat Mail which ran between Chennai and Colombo through Tuticorin port between India and Sri Lanka in the early 1900s was stopped in 1982 following the civil war between Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil rebels.

Last month, to accommodate passenger ferry service, Kankesanturai Harbour was declared open after the Sri Lanka Navy renovated it.

The ferry service is to travel from Karaikal Port in Pondicherry and Kankesanthurai Port in northern Sri Lanka. In addition, ferry services between Sri Lanka’s northwestern town of Talaimannar and India’s Rameshwaram also resumed.

The service is expected to boost Sri Lanka's tourism to which India is the biggest contributor.