Basil to travel to India again as relationship strengthens

By Easwaran Rutnam

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is to travel to India again as the relationship between both countries strengthens.

Foreign Minister, Professor G.L Peiris said that Rajapaksa, who was in India in December, will travel to New Delhi again in two weeks.

Peiris said that during the upcoming visit Rajapaksa will sign a USD 1 billion financial assistance deal with India.

The Foreign Minister said that the relationship between India and Sri Lanka has been strengthened in recent times.

He noted that India has always come forward to help Sri Lanka at crucial times.

Professor G.L Peiris, who was in India recently, said that?Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to visit Sri Lanka in March to attend the BIMSTEC Summit.

He said that Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also scheduled to visit Sri Lanka next month.

Meanwhile, the?High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Milinda Moragoda met the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi last week.

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked the Indian Finance Minister for the personal interest that she has taken in supporting Sri Lanka at this critical time. He also thanked her for the assistance that India has provided to Sri Lanka as envisaged under the four-pillars of cooperation that was agreed during the visit of Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to India in December last year.

The High Commissioner also followed-up with Minister Sitharaman on the early finalization of the 1 billion USD Line of Credit to purchase essential items, which is part of the four-pillar bilateral economic cooperation concept.

Progress in this regard was last reviewed at a virtual meeting between Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar on 18 January 2022.

During the meeting, High Commissioner Moragoda also discussed with Minister Sitharaman the arrangements for the forthcoming visit of the Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has been the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister of India since May 2019. Prior to that she was the Minister of Defence from 2017 to 2019. Smt. Sitharaman has also served as the State Minister of Finance and the State Minister (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.? (Colombo Gazette)