India on Tuesday displayed that along with business and strategic ties, the nation is also deeply devoted to building people-to-people ties with Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka currently faces an economic crisis caused partly due to its dwindling exports, International Sovereign Bond (ISB) and also due to debts from China. Long queues in petrol pumps and essential commodities shops have sparked fears of a civil unrest.
https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1508673951920115713?s=20&t=NlDmAqGUSxbID1awWvkrDg
India jumped in to help out a hospital when it was forced to suspend surgeries as it ran out of medical essentials. “Scheduled surgeries at the Peradeniya Hospital were suspended due to a shortage of medicines. Only emergency surgeries are taking place,” a Sri Lankan journalist tweeted.
Union minister S Jaishankar who was on a trip to Sri Lanka responded quickly and said that he will contact High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay to help address the situation. “Disturbed to see this news. Am asking High Commissioner Baglay to contact and discuss how India can help,” the Union minister replied quickly to the tweet.
China Snubbed In Energy-related Projects
In a boost to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ approach to its foreign policy, the Sri Lankan government chose to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India to set up hybrid power projects in three islands of Jaffna, news agency the Hindu reported.
The signing of the MoU replaces the Chinese ventures which were cleared by the Sri Lankan government in 2021. The MoU was signed between Union minister of external affairs S Jaishankar and his Lankan counterpart GL Peiris. India and Sri Lanka also signed MoUs to develop solar energy projects in partnership with National Thermal Power Corporation and the Adani Group is also working with the Lankan government to build renewable energy projects in Mannar and Pooneryn regions.
Earlier, Chinese energy company Sinosoar-Etechwin was awarded with projects by the Lankan government and these were to come up in Nainativu, Delft and Analaitivu islands. The Sri Lankan government snubbing the Chinese company has earned the ire of the Chinese Communist Party which questioned Sri Lanka’s ‘indecisiveness’ as it handed over the projects to India companies after keeping potential investors waiting for more than a year.
Fisheries harbours will also be built in partnership between both nations in Point Pedro, Pesalai and Gurunagar in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and in Balapitiya which lies south of capital Colombo.
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