Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, on Saturday assured Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that New Delhi will continue to support Colombo in democracy, stability, and economic recovery in the country, which is at a crucial juncture, amid the unprecedented political crisis and economic turmoil.
Baglay called on the Speaker a day after the latter accepted the resignation of fugitive President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Before he resigned, Gotabaya had appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Acting President, even though the latter had also announced to quit his post on July 13. Wickremesinghe took oath as Acting President on Friday.
The Sri Lankan Parliament will elect a new President on July 20.
During the meeting, High Commissioner Baglay “appreciated Parliament’s role in upholding democracy and Constitutional framework, especially at this crucial juncture,” the Indian High Commission tweeted.
“Conveyed that will continue to be supportive of democracy, stability and economic recovery in Sri Lanka,” the mission wrote.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades, with a severe foreign exchange shortage hampering the import of essentials, including food, fuel, and medicines.
The economic crisis also sparked a political crisis in the country after a popular uprising against the government forced President Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign as president.
Sri Lankan lawmakers met Saturday to choose a new leader to replace Rajapaksa, who first fled to the Maldives and is now in Singapore.
The island nation off the tip of southeast India needs about USD 5 billion in the next six months to cover basic necessities for its 22 million people, who have been struggling with long queues, worsening shortages, and power cuts.
Having extended a line of credit with help worth USD 3.8 billion, India has been the principal source of foreign aid to Sri Lanka this year. On Friday, the Indian High Commission reiterated that India would continue to stand with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, as well as established institutions and a constitutional framework.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said in New Delhi on Thursday that India looked forward to an early solution to the situation related to the government and its leadership in Sri Lanka through democratic means and values, established institutions, and a constitutional framework.
He said India would support the people of Sri Lanka in all ways in their endeavor to find a way forward. He noted that India responded with urgency to assist the people of Sri Lanka in overcoming their economic hardships and emphasized that India expeditiously finalized and delivered help and support worth about USD 3.8 billion in 2022.
India’s help has been as currency swaps, deferment of repayment of Sri Lanka’s liabilities to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the Asian Clearing Union mechanism, credit assistance of over USD 1.5 billion for fuel, food, medicines, fertilizers, and other essential commodities.