S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister will be heading to Sri Lanka ahead of an official visit on 19th-20th January. During this meeting External Affairs Minister will schedule an official meeting with Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry and will pay courtesy call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
On his official meet S Jaishankar will be accompanied by Joint Secretary (IOR) Puneet Agrawal, Director Sandeep Kumar Bayyappu, Deputy Secretary (Sri Lanka) Nidhi Choudhary, and Deputy Secretary Raghoo Puri from the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
“During the visit, EAM will call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and also hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs MUM Ali Sabry on the entire gamut of close India-Sri Lanka partnership and steps to strengthen it in all spheres,” as per the statement released.
On his visit S Jaishankar will follow his earlier trips to the bankrupt country in January 2021 and March 2022. India and Sri Lanka share good terms with each other and India has stood with Sri Lanka at all time.
Under the “Neighborhood First Policy”, India has extended aids to Sri Lanka worth USD 3.9 Billion to help them sustain themselves from the acute economic and financial crisis and meet their immediate needs such as medicines, food and cooking supplements, as per the report by the Sri Lanka based news.
Then in February 2022, India helped out Sri Lanka to over its fuel shortage for which they have signed an agreement for the supply of petroleum products worth USD 500 million from the Indian Oil Company through the credit line. This was expanded by USD 200 million worth of petroleum products in April 2022.
India’s EXIM bank and State Bank of India, has imported essential commodities and extended export credit facilities worth 1500 million to Sri Lanka and India also concluded a USD 400 million agreement with Sri Lanka to help preserve the country’s forex reserves.
Initially Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the parliament that talks with India and China on debt restructuring are successful.
“We are continuing discussions in that regard and I am pleased to announce to this House that the discussions are currently successful,” read Sri Lankan President Media Division press release.
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