India on Thursday assured Sri Lanka of its “fullest support” to help the island tide over its unprecedented economic crisis while “considering further financial assistance”, the Sri Lankan President’s office said.
A delegation from New Delhi led by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and including Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Ajay Seth, Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran and Joint Secretary to the Indian Ocean Region Division at the Ministry of External Affairs Kartik Pande, visited Colombo on Thursday.
During the visit, spanning barely half a day, the Indian officials met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and held discussions on New Delhi’s ongoing assistance, of over $ 3.5 billion since January 2022, to the island nation. Indian assistance so far has been extended by way of currency swaps, loan deferments and credit lines for essential imports.
