By Kelum Bandara 

India offered support to Sri Lanka on four pillars including the line of credit to cover fuel imports and the early modernisation of Trincomalee oil tank farm during Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s two day visit , Daily Mirror learns.   

The others include food and health security package on an urgent basis that would envisage an extension of a line of credit to cover the import of food, medicines and other essential items from India to Sri Lanka. 

There is also the offer of a Currency Swap to help Sri Lanka address the current balance of payment issues. Facilitation of Indian investments in different sectors in Sri Lanka that will contribute to growth and expand employment is also envisaged in this respect.   

Ahead of the final vote on the budget, the Minister visited India at the invitation of Indian Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He wrapped up his visit yesterday and returned. 

 
During the two-day official visit, Minister Rajapaksa had two rounds of joint discussions with his counterpart and External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Minister Rajapaksa also had bilateral discussions with the External Affairs Minister. He met with the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri and the National Security Advisor of India Ajit Kumar Doval as well. 

 
In his meetings with the Indian dignitaries, Minister Rajapaksa thanked India for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation and the arrangements that were in place for his visit. He also thanked India for the support it has been extending Sri Lanka over the years in many spheres.   

Minister Rajapaksa and Ministers Sitharaman and Jaishankar agreed to open direct lines of communication and to be in direct and regular contact with each other in order to coordinate the above initiative. However, Minister Rajapaksa could not call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

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