July 21, Colombo: The Sri Lanka government yesterday nodded to a request from the Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) to debate the agreement between the SriLankan and Emirates Airlines regarding the ownership and management of the local airline.

Government Chief Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said the government disliked the agreement between Emirates and SriLankan. He said a committee has been appointed to decide the future of the agreement that will expire in March 2008.

JVP parliamentarian Wasantha Samarasinghe said Emirates was not an international airline before 1995. But later, Minister Fernandopulle produced facts to show that Emirates was an international airline by that time.

Emirates has asked the Sri Lankan government to inform them of its decision on the agreement, although the latter is still undecided on the matter.