UK says closely monitoring ‘fast-moving situation in Sri Lanka
Calls on all parties to respect the rule of law, and refrain from violence and damage
COLOMBO – The UK government is closely monitoring the fast-moving situation in Sri Lanka, including the recent appointment of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, British Minister of State at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Amanda Milling, said last week.
In a written response to a question from David Lammy, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Milling said the UK government was encouraging all sides to find a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive approach to resolving the current political and economic challenges in Sri Lanka.
She also called on all parties to respect the rule of law, and refrain from violence and damage.
Lammy in his question to the Minister of State at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office asked what steps the UK was taking with its “international counterparts to resolve the political and economic situation in Sri Lanka.”
In her response, Milling said the UK was providing economic support through multilateral institutions such as the World Bank (WB), and International Monetary Fund (IMF), and was working closely with fellow Paris Club members, on solutions to Sri Lanka’s debt crisis.
Noting that UK has the joint fifth largest shares in the IMF, and is a major contributor to the UN and WB, she said UK has a significant voice in international debt for, she said the UK was also supporting the UN and its agencies in their coordinated response based on the UN’s joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, launched on June 9, which called for $47.2 million to provide life-saving assistance to 1.7 million people who are most at risk and need immediate support.
She also noted that The World Bank had announced assistance of US$400 million which includes funds to provide economic as well as health support.
-ENCL