Prime Minister meets India, US, Japan, China, envoys
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met envoys representing the United States, China, and Japan Friday (13) afternoon, after meeting the Indian high commissioner earlier in the day.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s media unit, Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki pledged his country’s continued support towards the stabilization of Sri Lanka’s economy.
The Japanese Ambassador is scheduled to visit Tokyo on Saturday (14), the statement said.
Sri Lanka’s relations with Japan was tested in the last two years after the Rajapaksa-led government terminated a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded light railway transit (LRT) project and unilaterally cancelled a trilateral deal with India and Japan to develop the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port.
In a meeting with US Ambassador Julie Chuna, Wickremesinghe had discussed an upcoming visit of a US treasury team. The 19th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution and the strengthening of oversight committees in parliament were also discussed, the statement said.
A day earlier the US ambassador called for an inclusive government.
“Look forward to working w/ @RW_UNP,” Ambassador Julie Chung said in a tweet, adding, “His appointment as PM, and the quick formation of an inclusive government, are first steps to addressing the crisis & promoting stability.
“We encourage meaningful progress at the IMF & long-term solutions that meet the needs of all Sri Lankans.”
Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang meanwhile had expressed his country’s willingness to continue to support Sri Lanka while also pledging to review existing assistance provided to the country. Analysts say China, whose presence in Sri Lanka was becoming increasingly dominant over the years, has been distancing itself from the island nation over the past year.
Earlier in the day Wickremesinghe met Indian High Commissioner Gopal Bagley, following which Bagley tweeted, “Discussed continued India-Sri Lanka cooperation for economic recovery and stability in #SriLanka through democratic processes towards the wellbeing of all the people of Sri Lanka.”
Meanwhile, the UK High commission called for political and economic stability with the new appointment, tweeting, “The coming weeks are crucial for bringing political and economic stability to Sri Lanka. We encourage the government of Sri Lanka, led by @RW_UNP, to work towards this goal and respond to the needs of the Sri Lankan people.”
-economynext.com