India will continue assistance to Sri Lanka in every possible area: Jaishankar

India will continue to provide developmental assistance to Sri Lanka in every possible area, Jaishankar said

Colombo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday pledged continued development assistance in every possible area to Sri Lanka amid its ongoing economic crisis.

Jaishankar addressed the parliamentarians who are part of the Sri Lanka-India Parliamentary Friendship Association through a video link and emphasised that India was in every aspect working towards strengthening the Indi-Sri Lanka ties.

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“India will continue to provide developmental assistance to Sri Lanka in every possible area,” Jaishankar said during his address.

Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Gopal Baglay was also present in Parliament and said that the bilateral relationship is further expected to be enhanced through four main areas: food security, energy security, currency support and long-term investment.

On the occasion, Sri Lankan parliamentary Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that relations could be further enhanced through exchange programmes that could be implemented by using the parliamentary friendship association.

Parliamentarians noted with gratitude India’s economic assistance to Sri Lanka when the island was plunged into its worst economic crisis last year.

India offered Sri Lanka more than USD 4 billion worth of assistance which in the main funded the imports of essentials and fuel.

The economic crisis triggered by forex shortages forced the public into the streets which forced the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.