Modi, Rajapaksa agree to speed up India-aided development projects in Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday agreed to speed up Indian-assisted growth initiatives in Sri Lanka and mentioned the opportunity of selling investments by India’s personal sector.

The transfer assumes significance towards the backdrop of China’s concerted push to develop infrastructure initiatives in Sri Lanka and different international locations underneath its Belt and Road Initiative, which has led to criticism from the US about these international locations being uncovered to predatory loans.

The growth initiatives figured when Modi spoke on phone with Rajapaksa concerning the Covid-19 pandemic and its well being and financial impacts within the area. Rajapaksa briefed Modi on steps being taken by his authorities to restart financial exercise.

“In this context, both leaders agreed on the need to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka. They also discussed the possibilities of promoting investments and value-addition in Sri Lanka by the Indian private sector,” the exterior affairs ministry mentioned.

Modi assured Rajapaksa that India will proceed to supply all doable assist to Sri Lanka for mitigating the impression of the pandemic.

The Indian prime minister additionally had a phone dialog along with his counterpart in Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, and mentioned enhancing cooperation in a number of areas, together with measures to assist the monetary sector of Mauritius.

Jugnauth conveyed his condolences for losses attributable to cyclone Amphan in India and thanked Modi for sending the Indian warship INS Kesari to Mauritius with a consignment of medicines and a 14-member medical workforce to assist well being authorities battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kesari arrived in Port Louis on Saturday with a second consignment of important medicines, which have been obtained by well being minister Kailesh Jagutpal. The cargo consists of 10 tonnes of Ayurvedic medicines. The Indian medical help workforce that arrived on board Kesari features a group medication specialist, a pulmonologist and an anaesthesiologist. The provide of medicines and the workforce was organized on the request of the federal government of Mauritius.

The first consignment of 13 tonnes of important medicines from India, together with 500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets, arrived on a particular Air India flight on April 15.

Modi conveyed his appreciation for the Covid-19 response mounted by Mauritius, which has resulted in no new instances being reported for a number of weeks. He mentioned Mauritius ought to doc its greatest practices, which will likely be useful for different international locations.