External affairs minister Jaishankar says that Lankans are currently working out their problems and India will wait and see the outcome…reports Asian Lite News
A day after protestors stormed the Sri Lankan President’s official residence, India has said that it stands “with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework”.
“We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to media queries on Sunday.
Pointing out that the recent developments in Sri Lanka were being followed closely, he said “India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilizational bonds”.
In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in the Neighbourhood First policy, India had extended this “an unprecedented support” of over $3.8 billion this year itself for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka, Bagchi pointed out.
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that India had always been supportive of Sri Lanka and it was trying to help the neighbouring country through its current economic crisis.
Speaking with mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, EAM Jaishankar said, “They are right now working through their problems, so we have to wait and see what they do.”
Sri Lanka was plunged into an unprecedented political crisis after thousands of angry protestors on Saturday stormed the official residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the home of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Both have since said that they will resign from their positions.
Anger has mounted over the past several weeks as Sri Lanka grapples with a severe economic crisis, including acute shortage of food, fuel, medicines, and other essential items.
India has been lending a helping hand to Sri Lanka in this hour of need, providing aid worth over USD 3.5 billion in addition to Lines of Credit for fuel and fertilisers and humanitarian assistance like food and medicines.
On Sunday, India handed over more than 44,000 MT of urea supplied under a credit line extended to Sri Lanka.
Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay stressed that this latest assistance by India symbolises the continued commitment to support the people of Sri Lanka, including farmers, and bolster the efforts for food security of the country’s citizens.
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