Sri lanka News – India has helped the crisis-hit Sri Lanka to the best of its ability and will help the island nation with its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Indian media quoted Jaishankar as saying at an event in Bangkok on Thursday August 17 that this year alone, India has extended 3.8 billion US dollars in support to Sri Lanka including lines of credit and swap arrangement.
“Any help we can give to Sri Lanka at the IMF that we will naturally do,” India’s NDTV quoted Jaishankar as saying on its website.
Jaishankar’s speech focused on India’s relations with China India, which he said was going through an “extremely difficult phase” after what Beijing has done at the border.
The Asian Century will not happen if the two neighbours could not join hands, he said.
The foreign minister did not make any explicit reference to the recent diplomatic standoff between India, Sri Lanka and China over a Chinese tracking vessel that is currently docked in the island’s Hambantota Port for replenishment purposes.
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“At the moment (the India-China) relationship is going through an extremely difficult phase after what China did at the border,” he said.
“I think if India and China have to come together, there are many reasons to do so, not necessarily only Sri Lanka,” he said, adding that it is in India and China’s own interest to join hands. (Colombo/Aug19/2022)