Basil’s crucial India visit put off indefinitely

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s planned visit to finalize a much-needed Indian financial package has been put off due to “last minute scheduling issues,” official sources said on Friday.

The minister was due to conclude a one-billion-dollar Indian credit line to buy medicines and essential food during a visit which was set to start on Friday.

Official sources said there were difficulties in arranging a meeting with Indian External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

During his first visit to India in December as the country’s finance minister, Basil Rajapaksa did not get a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was not immediately clear if the two were due to meet in the proposed new visit which is yet to be rescheduled.

India earlier this year announced a $2.4 billion rescue package for Sri Lanka which is facing its worst foreign exchange crisis that has led to shortages of food, fuel and medicines.