"India provided Lanka 'a breath of life' during crisis", says President Wickremesinghe
"The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Sri Lanka a breath of life. On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey the gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the government and the people of India."
Total Views |
Colombo, Aug 3: Newly elected President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday (Aug 3) thanked India which he said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided the crisis-hit island nation "a breath of life" in tough times.
President Wickremesinghe made the remarks while presenting the government's policy statement during the third session of Parliament during which he invited political parties to form an all-party government. "I wish to specially mention the assistance provided by India, our closest neighbor, in our efforts of economic revitalization. The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us a breath of life. On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey the gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the government and the people of India," said Wickremesinghe in his address.
Sri Lanka Parliament met for the first session under President Wickremesinghe after he was sworn in on Jul 21. Wickremesinghe in his address reiterated the formation of an all-party govt to help the country tide over its economic crisis. He said that Parliament must be united and not divided to address the current crisis and added that some political parties have already expressed interest to join the all-party.
According to EAM Dr Jaishankar's statement in Indian parliament in response to to question put by DMK Lok Sabha MP S Ramalingam, "Government of India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years. In January 2022, India extended a USD 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6, 2022. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India."
The humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the government of India's ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply, and many more. The efforts prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighborhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement is still active.