Basil off to Delhi this week

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa will visit India this week to seek financial assistance that will help the country navigate the current economic crisis.

 Issuing a Twitter message the Indian High Commission in Colombo said that the Finance Minister had scheduled the meeting during a telephone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar last week. Rajapaksa was to visit India early this year, however it was postponed twice.

 The two ministers had a productive and cordial discussion and Minister Jaishankar had promised India would help Sri Lanka in all possible ways.

 Sri Lanka has sought a one billion U.S. Dollar Credit Line from India to purchase essential items, including food and medicine. During Rajapaksa’s visit to India, the two ministers will discuss the credit line as well as review the previously agreed of 500 million U.S. Dollar Credit Line to import fuel from India.

Prior to the Sri Lankan Finance Minister’s visit to India a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and India’s largest energy conglomerate, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), was signed last Friday (11) to establish a 100 MW Solar Power Plant at Sampur, Trincomalee.