श्रीलंका में क्या चल रहा है ?

Gotabaya turns to Putin for fuel supplies for Sri Lanka

He also seeks resumption of flights after tourist arrivals hit

07/07/2022 

Meera Srinivasan Colombo

Sri Lankan President on Wednesday reached out to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, seeking

💐urgent credit for fuel imports for the crisis-hit island nation, 

💐even as Colombo negotiates a support package with the Washington-headquartered International Monetary Fund.

“Had a very productive telecon with the #Russia President, Vladimir Putin. While thanking him for all the support extended by his gvt to overcome the challenges of the past, 

💐I requested an offer of credit support to import fuel to #lka in defeating the current econ challenges,” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a tweet.

Sri Lanka ran out of fuel

last week

1 , and the government said it was suspending fuel sales for two weeks to cope with the situation.

 2 An aide of a Prime Minister has indicated that supplies will likely arrive by July 22, while hundreds wait for days together in long queues to petrol stations. 

3 Colombo earlier dispatched its Ministers to Qatar and Russia to seek help.

💐 Scrambling for dollars for essential imports, 

💐the government is counting on credit lines from one of its bilateral partners. 

💐However, after Colombo opted for a pre-emptive sovereign default in April this year, global oil firms are less forthcoming with credit.

India assistance

1 India, as part of its $3.5 billion assistance this year, 

2 earlier extended a $500 million credit line for fuel imports, and Sri Lanka has sought further credit. 

भरोसा कैसे होगा ?

However, it appears that any future assistance from most bilateral partners will depend on 

💐Sri Lanka firming up its debt restructure strategy, 

💐and the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility coming through.

Optics of outreach

Apart from seeking credit for fuel, Mr. Rajapaksa 

💐also requested Mr. Putin to resume operations of Russia’s national carrier to the island nation,

 💐suspended following a diplomatic spat last month. 

💐Colombo, based on a court order in a commercial dispute, detained a Russian aircraft, leading to a “resolute protest” from Moscow. 

💐The court later revoked the order, but Russia’s subsequent decision to suspend operations resulted in a high number of tourist cancellations, local media reported.

“Further, I humbly made A request to restart @Aeroflot_World operations in #lka.

  We unanimously agreed that strengthening bilateral relations 

💐in sectors such as tourism, 

💐trade & culture was paramount in reinforcing the friendship our two nations share,” Mr. Rajapaksa said in the twitter thread.

His request to resume operations of the Russian carrier 

💐may have further diplomatic consequences,

 amid other geopolitical tensions.

 In March this year, Aeroflot announced suspension of its international operations, 

💐as western manufacturers, lessors, and repair companies implemented sanctions in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

💐In Sri Lanka, the European Union has earlier raised concern with Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation Authority 

over allowing Aerofloat operations, citing questions over its “air-worthiness”, The Hindu learns.

Tough negotiations

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is struggling to respond to its crippling economic downturn

. Even ongoing negotiations with the IMF appear challenging, going by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s remarks in Parliament on Tuesday. 

“We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country. Therefore, we have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations,” he said.

Source the hindu