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Ranil – Modi meet in New Delhi(Pics)

Published

2 years ago

July 21, 2023

editor

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is currently on an official visit to India, had met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi a short while ago.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised the impressive economic, infrastructure, & technological advancements made under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and emphasized that India’s growth would have positive impacts on both the neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean region.

President Wickremesinghe expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian PM Narendra Modi and the government and people of India for their unwavering support and solidarity during Sri Lanka’s most difficult times in recent history.

The Sri Lankan President has reaffirmed his dedication to achieving economic revival, sustainable development & justice for all in Sri Lanka and engaged in discussions about a comprehensive plan for reconciliation and power-sharing, extending an invitation to all party leaders to reach a consensus. PM Modi expressed his support and goodwill for these initiatives.

After the delegation-level talks with Indian Prime Minister, President Wickremesinghe asserted that Sri Lanka is steadfastly pursuing economic reforms, which are already showing positive results in stabilizing the country. The measures taken have led to a resurgence of confidence both within the nation and from external observers in the progress of Sri Lanka, the PMD notes.

While highlighting the mutual agreement between India and Sri Lanka on a joint vision for their economic partnership, focusing on improved connectivity, President Wickremesinghe also acknowledged the deep historical and cultural connections between the two nations, emphasizing that this presents an ideal opportunity for further enhancing connectivity in the future.

The PMD further notes :

President Wickremesinghe also emphasized the significance of modern-day connectivity in achieving the economic partnership’s vision & highlighted the recent resumption of Chennai-Jaffna air services as a vital step towards improving Indo-Lanka air connectivity. Both countries reached an agreement to enhance aviation & ferry services, aiming to foster economic growth & enhanced connectivity to bolster cooperation in tourism and cultural relations.

President Wickremesinghe & PM Modi discussed developing Trincomalee into an energy hub with India’s support, aligning with Sri Lanka’s goal to make it a centre for industry and economic activities. Constructing a multi-product petroleum pipeline from southern India to Sri Lanka to ensure an affordable & reliable supply of energy resources for Sri Lanka was also discussed showcasing the commitment to bolstering energy cooperation & regional development.

President Wickremesinghe’s visit to India aims to strengthen trust & lay the foundation for the future of Indo-Lanka relations with potential in collaborating with India on green & renewable energy projects. The MoU for Cooperation in Renewable Energy is particularly significant as it will create a high-capacity power grid interconnection between Sri Lanka and India, facilitating seamless two-way electricity trade & promoting energy collaboration to enhance economic cooperation & foster sustainable development in the region.

President Wickremesinghe expressed that his visit to India offers a valuable chance to assess & enhance the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. He emphasized the significance of leveraging the strong geographical and civilizational ties between the two nations to build trust and confidence, aiming for mutual prosperity in the contemporary world.

President Wickremesinghe highlighted the crucial role of cooperation in the education sector in the bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka & emphasized the significance of establishing new higher education institutes with India’s assistance to enhance the knowledge and skills of the youth, enabling their active participation in the nation’s development endeavours.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that ferry services between Talaimannar-Rameswaram & Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai will add more impetus to sea travel between India & SL. Examining other forms of connectivity between SL & India could become a further catalyst to boost economic growth.

Earlier this morning, India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval had called on President Wickremesinghe in New Delhi.

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News

Showers expected in part of the island today

Published

45 minutes ago

July 4, 2025

editor

Several spells of light showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (July 04), the Department of Meteorology said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills and in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public has been requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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IMF grants waivers despite obligation breach & erred reporting

Published

11 hours ago

July 3, 2025

editor

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as well as inaccuracies of information reported to the IMF.

However, the IMF has decided to grant waivers and not pursue further action, citing corrective measures and a commitment to reform by Sri Lankan authorities.

Following the Executive Board’s discussion, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair – Mr. Kenji Okamura, has issued the following statement:

“The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (“EFF”), as well as a breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5. The noncomplying purchases arose as a result of the provision of inaccurate information by the authorities on the stock of expenditure arrears at the first, second, and third reviews under the EFF.

“The inaccuracies in information provided to the IMF were inadvertent and arose because of weaknesses in the timely reporting of arrears by line ministries to the Ministry of Finance, as well as a misunderstanding by the authorities of the definition of “arrears” under the Technical Memorandum of Understanding.

“The Executive Board positively considered the authorities’ corrective actions, the fact that arrears repayments will be accommodated within the existing fiscal envelope, and the authorities’ commitment to improving public financial management procedures in line with the new PFM law, to reduce the risk of accruing arrears or inaccurate reporting of information going forward. In view of the above, the Executive Board agreed to grant waivers for the nonobservances of the quantitative performance criterion that gave rise to the noncomplying purchases and decided not to require further action in connection with the breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5.”

News

Abdul Wazeeth appointed to Parliament from SLMC national list

Published

12 hours ago

July 3, 2025

editor

Abdul Wazeeth of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has been appointed as a Member of Parliament, the National Election Commission has announced.

His appointment comes following the resignation of former MP M. S. Naleem, who had entered Parliament through the SLMC National List after the 2024 parliamentary election.