Sri Lankan President requests Vladimir Putin for Credit to import Fuel

 As Sri Lanka continues to battle its worst financial crisis in seven decades, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought urgent credit support to import fuel to the island nation in a telephonic conversation with the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (local time).

The two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries in several key sectors including energy even as Colombo negotiated a support package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "Had a very productive telecon with the Russia President, Vladimir Putin. While thanking him for all the support extended by his government to overcome the challenges of the past, I requested an offer of credit support to import fuel to Sri Lanka in defeating the current economic challenges," Gotabaya tweeted.

Further Gotabaya also requested Putin to restart Russian Airlines Aeroflot operations in Sri Lanka. "We unanimously agreed that strengthening bilateral relations in sectors such as tourism, trade & culture was paramount in reinforcing the friendship our two nations share," Gotabaya tweeted.

"At the initiative of the Sri Lankan side, President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa," said Kremlin in a statement.
Both the presidents discussed current matters of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, in particular, in energy, agriculture, and transport.

In the context of the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries marked this year, "the mutual disposition to further progressive development of traditionally friendly Russian-Sri Lankan ties was confirmed."
As per the release, the presidents agreed to...