NEW DELHI: India is receptive to the idea of coordinated patrolling of the Palk Strait, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said after a meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday.

Talking to The Hindu, he, however, said it was up to India to articulate its position on Colombo's proposal presented to it on March 19.

According to Mr. Bogollagama, his 40-minute meeting with Mr. Mukherjee went off well and the Indian side was positive on the issues raised by him. There were "no major hiccups," he said.

Asked to comment on Sri Lankan media reports that a radar supplied by India failed to detect the LTTE aircraft that attacked the air base near Colombo, he termed these reports "speculative."

Mr. Bogollagama said Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed a commission of inquiry to probe the attack and he would wait for its results.

The attack was a sign of desperation on the part of the LTTE. However, the incident could not be taken "lying down" and Colombo had decided to strengthen its air defence capabilities.

Calling for greater vigilance by the Indian and Sri Lankan navies to prevent the LTTE from ferrying arms, he said Colombo wanted a strong statement from the SAARC summit on terrorism.

"Our responsibility is to meet the [terrorist] challenge by making united efforts," he told this correspondent. The SAARC nations, should make efforts to curtail terrorist funding, eliminate procurement of arms by terror groups, stop drug trafficking and money laundering and take action against front organisations of such outfits.

On the recent killing of Tamil Nadu fishermen, he said it was established that these persons were in Indian waters, but pointed to Indian Navy Chief Sureesh Mehta's statement that he could not rule out the LTTE's involvement. "None of our boats were there [in the area]," he added.

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