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In a big growth, the Chinese language Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong met his U.S. counterpart Julie Chung in Colombo on June 13 and held discussions on “broad subjects of mutual curiosity” and pledged assist in serving to the island nation mitigate its crippling financial disaster.
Sri Lanka is at present going through its worst financial disaster since independence from Britain in 1948.
The financial disaster has prompted an acute scarcity of important objects like meals, medication, cooking fuel and different gas, bathroom paper, and even matches, with Sri Lankans being compelled to attend in traces lasting hours exterior shops to purchase gas and cooking fuel.
“Ambassador Qi Zhenhong met with the U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung on the Chinese language embassy on June 13 and had a pleasant dialogue on broad subjects of mutual curiosity. China and america may work collectively to assist Sri Lanka overcome present difficulties,” a tweet from the Chinese language Embassy in Sri Lanka stated.
Commenting on the assembly, U.S. Ambassador Chung stated discussions centered on the present political and financial scenario in Sri Lanka and asserted that there was an trade of concepts on commerce funding and growth.
Each envoys agreed on the necessity to collectively come ahead in serving to Sri Lanka climate by the present financial and political disaster.
The assembly assumes significance and comes at a time when Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stated final week that his authorities couldn’t faucet on the $1.5 billion credit score line from China and is but to listen to again from Beijing on the $1 billion loans.
In a media briefing final week, Chinese language Overseas Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated that Beijing had earmarked humanitarian help value $73 million to Sri Lanka.
Final month, Samantha Energy, the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) administrator, held a phone dialog with Mr. Wickremesinghe to debate how USAID is responding to the nation’s political and financial crises.
In the meantime, India has offered a $55 million Line of Credit score to Sri Lanka for the import of fertilisers, in a bid to assist the island nation tide over its meals shortage, the Indian Excessive Fee stated final week.
Addressing the Parliament just lately, Mr. Wickremesinghe stated Sri Lanka will want $5 billion to make sure that the individuals’s day by day lives should not disrupted for the subsequent six months.
The practically bankrupt nation, with an acute overseas foreign money disaster that resulted in overseas debt default, introduced in April that it’s suspending practically $7 billion overseas debt compensation due for this 12 months out of about $25 billion due by 2026.
Sri Lanka’s whole overseas debt stands at $51 billion.
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