Indian officials in Sri Lanka for talks on ailing economy
A four-member Indian delegation led by foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra on Thursday met Sri Lanka’s top leadership, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and underlined that India stands ready to help the island nation’s quick economic recovery through promoting investments, connectivity and strengthening economic linkage.
Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948 which has led to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and fuel across the island nation.
India is assessing Sri Lanka crisis level amid $500 million aid request, Bloomberg reported. The delegation first met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
During the meeting, Kwatra told Rajapaksa that India, as a close friend, will extend its fullest support to Sri Lanka in overcoming the difficult situation, the newsfirst.lk website reported.
The delegation includes Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance of India, Ajay Seth; Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India Dr V Anantha Nageswaran and Joint Secretary of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Kartik Pande of the Ministry of External Affairs of India,
Sri Lanka’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement. The delegation reviewed the already provided assistance in terms of fuel, medicine, fertiliser and other essentials and said the Indian government is committed to support Sri Lanka, the report said.
The delegation also met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed Sri Lanka’s economic situation.
In a tweet, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Kwatra, accompanied by Seth and Nageswaran, met President Rajapaksa and “held productive discussions on the current situation in Sri Lanka and India’s ongoing support”.
During the meeting, the Indian delegation underlined that India stands ready to help Sri Lanka in quick economic recovery through promoting investments, connectivity and strengthening economic linkage, he said.
“Reiterated Sri Lanka’s centrality to India’s #NeighbourhoodFirst policy. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to development of India-Lanka ties,” Bagchi said.
The Indian delegation’s visit coincides with the visit of the IMF delegation who are engaging Colombo for the proposed staff-level agreement which should eventuate with a possible bailout.