According to sources, Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay was the first foreign envoy to meet with new Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on May 13 and discussed the country’s current situation amid the world’s worst economic crisis.
On May 12, Mr. Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s 26th Prime Minister, with the goal of stabilising the country’s debt-ridden economy and putting an end to political turmoil.
Mr. Baglay paid a visit to Mr. Wickremesinghe shortly after the latter began working in his office on Friday, according to Prime Minister’s office sources.
They discussed the country’s current situation in the midst of the country’s worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.
Since January, India’s economic aid package has kept Sri Lanka afloat during its worst economic crisis since independence. As Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves depleted, India provided credit lines for the purchase of fuel and other necessities.
Since January 2022, India has committed more than $3 billion in loans, credit lines, and credit swaps to debt-ridden Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka declared insolvency in mid-April, announcing its inability to meet foreign debt obligations.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is exacerbated by a lack of foreign currency, which has left the country unable to pay for essential food and fuel imports, resulting in severe shortages and exorbitant prices.
The crisis has sparked widespread protests calling for political reform and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation.
Sri Lanka declared an Emergency
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on April 1 and lifted it five days later. After police fired tear gas and arrested students protesting near parliament, which had been adjourned until May 17, the government reimposed a state of emergency on May 6.
Despite the fact that the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, police fatally shot a protester on April 19 and have used tear gas and water cannons against protesters on several occasions. Authorities have made numerous arrests and have imposed curfews on numerous occasions.
People who had been affected by long hours of power outages and essential shortages took to the streets in late March, demanding the government’s resignation. In response to the demand for resignation, President Rajapaksa sacked his cabinet and replaced it with a younger one. For well over a month, a continuous protest has been held in front of his secretariat. His brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, resigned as Prime Minister on Monday, allowing the President to appoint an interim government made up of all political parties. Mr. Wickremesinghe expressed his desire for stronger ties with India. India said on May 12 that it looked forward to working with the new Sri Lankan government, which was formed through democratic processes, and that New Delhi’s commitment to the island’s people would continue.