Team News Riveting
Colombo, January 20
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India decided not to wait on others but to do what it believed was right in the crisis-ridden Sri Lanka.
“Our expectation is that this will not only strengthen Sri Lanka’s position but ensure that all bilateral creditors are dealt with equally,” Jaishankar said in his remarks in presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and foreign Minister Ali Sabry today. He said India will encourage greater investments in the Sri Lankan economy, especially in the core areas like energy, tourism and infrastructure.
Jaishankar said India has given financing assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to clear the way for Sri Lanka to move forward because India felt strongly that Sri Lanka’s creditors must take proactive steps to facilitate its recovery. “We also know that Sri Lanka’s pathway is one of a strong economic recovery propelled by greater investments. Here too, I have a clear message that I will be sharing with the business community. We count on the Government of Sri Lanka to provide a more business-friendly environment to create a powerful pull factor. I am confident that the gravity of the situation is realized by policy makers here,” he said.
Indian External Affairs Minister said his primary purpose of coming to Colombo was to express India’s solidarity with Sri Lanka during these difficult moments. He interacted with the Business community of Sri Lanka and discussed the importance of economic growth as a solution to the current challenges. He spoke about creating a more investment friendly environment.
Last year, India extended about US $ 4 billion in terms of credits and roll overs to help Sri Lanka get through an economic crisis. “For us, it was an issue of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and not leaving a partner to fend for themselves,” he said.
During his remarks, Jaishankar said he has handed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to President Wickremesinghe to visit India at an early date to discuss how India’s partnership can facilitate Sri Lanka’s strong recovery. He said India has always supported both the political and economic stability of Sri Lanka.
He said the President briefed him on the question of political devolution and his thinking. “I shared with him our considered view that the full implementation of the 13th amendment and early conduct of provincial elections are critical in this regard. Durable efforts towards reconciliation are in the interests of all sections in Sri Lanka,” he stated.
Jaishankar also spoke of the need to pay special attention to the requirements of the Indian origin Tamil community.
During his visit, India’s Foreign Minister called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena besides having a good meeting with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and other ministerial colleagues on Friday evening.
