India, Sri Lanka Sign Satellite Deal

 India and Sri Lanka signed a deal on co-ordinating radio frequencies on the proposed SAARC satellite during Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi. 

The satellite, proposed by India to provide communication and meteorological services to South Asia Association for Regional Co-operation member-countries is likely to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in December 2016.

The bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka on orbit frequency co-ordination of the satellite for the SAARC region was exchanged between Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera and A S Kiran Kumar, chairman of ISRO. 

India expects to enter into bilateral agreements with other SAARC countries on orbit frequency coordination of the proposed satellite. These agreements are meant to ensure that the new satellite entering into the crowded geostationary orbit operates without causing or receiving harmful interference from radio systems of other satellites.