India responds positively to Sri Lanka’s request | Daily News
Supply of more petrol and diesel on urgent basis

India responds positively to Sri Lanka’s request

Negotiations with Singapore to obtain a petrol ship almost successful
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda meeting Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri yesterday.
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda meeting Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri yesterday.

India has responded positively to a request made by Sri Lanka for more supplies of petrol and diesel on an urgent basis. The request had been made by High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Milinda Moragoda from the Indian Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs of India Shri Hardeep Singh Puri yesterday.

 “While thanking India for the assistance that was extended in the form of lines of credit to import fuel, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka discussed with Minister Puri the possibility of securing petrol and diesel supplies that are required by Sri Lanka at present on an urgent basis.

Minister Puri responded positively in this regard and assured the High Commissioner of all possible support to Sri Lanka at this critical juncture” the Sri Lankan High Commission in India said.

Meanwhile, Government sources said Singapore too may supply petrol to Sri Lanka as talks in this regard have been largely successful.

Sources also said Sri Lanka was looking to bring down two petrol ships and two diesel ships from India urgently as fuel stocks have almost dried up.

Meanwhile, during the meeting with Minister Puri at the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs in New Delhi yesterday, High Commissioner Moragoda had briefed on the acute challenges that Sri Lanka is currently facing with regard to the supply and distribution of petroleum products and the severe hardships that the people are undergoing.

The High Commissioner and the Minister also discussed modalities through which India and Sri Lanka could further expand cooperation in the petroleum sector to help overcome the immediate crisis and to ensure energy security in Sri Lanka. In this context, High Commissioner Moragoda and Minister Puri discussed ways and means through which Sri Lanka could establish long-term ties in the petroleum, oil, gas and related logistics sectors.

The overall economic assistance provided to Sri Lanka by the Government of India this year alone amidst an unprecedented economic crisis stands at around USD 3.5 billion. Sri Lanka is also negotiating with India to obtain another US$ 500 million loan.

 


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