AKD says India Sri Lanka’s most important partner
COLOMBO– Sri Lanka has to forge strong links with foreign nations to take the economy forward and India was the most important as the closest neighbour, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, addressing a public meeting on Sunday (19)
“We cannot stand up on our own. So we have to forge strong links with other countries,” he said, identifying India, a country with which Sri Lanka has historical ties, as the most important link.
Noting that India has attained fast economic growth, he said, “If they are nearby, they are our friends on our path to economic growth.”
He said, his government, soon after coming to power, had taken steps to strengthen ties with India.
India had also converted a 14.9 million dollar loan to install a signalling system on the Maho-Anuradhapura segment of Sri Lankan railways, into a grant, while also providing funds to develop the economic conditions of people in the Eastern Province, which he said hadn’t received much developmental assistance in the past, for agriculture and animal husbandry.
He also said Sri Lanka and India will create a company with 50% ownership each to build the Sampur solar power plant, after which Sri Lanka will purchase electricity generated at 5.97 US cents a unit.
-economynext.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.