• High Commissioner Moragoda thanked the Indian Finance Minister for the personal interest that she has taken in supporting Sri Lanka at this critical time
• The High Commissioner also followed-up with Minister Sitharaman on early finalisation of the 1 billion USD Line of Credit to purchase essential items

By Kelum Bandara 

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda that the modalities for the disbursement of US $ 1 billion credit line for Sri Lanka to import essential items from India would be finalised soon.   

Mr. Moragoda met with the Indian Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister in New Delhi yesterday.    

 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 early finalisation 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 India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on January 18, 2022.   

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

• Arrangements for the forthcoming visit of Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi were also discussed