Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar might be on a three-day go to to the Maldives and Sri Lanka starting Wednesday to additional develop bilateral engagement with the 2 key maritime neighbours of India.
Jaishankar’s first vacation spot would be the Maldives, the place he’ll signal a number of agreements to bolster bilateral cooperation.
His go to to Sri Lanka on Thursday comes at a time when the island nation is battling an financial disaster and is trying ahead to debt restructuring from New Delhi.
Sri Lanka, which is attempting to safe a much-needed $2.9 billion bridge mortgage from the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF), has been attempting to get monetary assurances from its main collectors China, Japan, and India. The IMF has expressed its unwillingness to launch funds until India and China agree to cut back Colombo’s debt.
Jaishankar is scheduled to name on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, a Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) assertion mentioned.
He may even maintain discussions with Sri Lankan International Minister M. U. M. Ali Sabry on your entire gamut of an in depth India-Sri Lanka partnership and steps to strengthen it in all spheres, the MEA assertion mentioned.
“Sri Lanka is an in depth pal and neighbour, and India has stood with the folks of Sri Lanka always,” the assertion mentioned.
Jaishankar had earlier visited Sri Lanka in January 2021 and March final yr.
Throughout his go to to the Maldives on Wednesday, Jaishankar would name on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and maintain discussions with International Minister Abdulla Shahid.
The minister’s go to to Male will see signing of agreements associated to the bilateral growth cooperation, ground-breaking/inauguration/handing-over and launch of a variety of key India-supported initiatives that may contribute to the socio-economic growth of the Maldives, the assertion mentioned.
The MEA assertion mentioned that each the Maldives and Sri Lanka are India’s key maritime neighbours within the Indian Ocean Area and occupy a particular place within the Prime Minister’s imaginative and prescient of ‘SAGAR’ (Safety and Progress for All within the Area) and ‘Neighbourhood First’.
It mentioned the exterior affairs minister’s go to is testimony to the significance that India attaches to its shut and pleasant relations with the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Supply – PTI
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