Sri Lanka's New Prime Minister Vows To Improve Relations With India, Uplift Economy

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published May 13, 2022 | 01:50 PM

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2022) Newly elected Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Friday that his government will work to improve bilateral relations with India and overcome economic crisis.

On Thursday, Wickremesinghe from the center-right United National Party was sworn in as the country's new prime minister, for the fourth time running.

He said that one of his main tasks at the moment is to help the country recover from economic crisis, saying "I have taken on a challenge of uplifting the economy and I must fulfill it," as quoted by Sri Lankan news website Ada Derana.

"It will become much better," Wickremesinghe said when asked about India-Sri Lanka relations, as quoted in the report.

The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka expressed the hope for political stability in Sri Lanka and further cooperation with the new government.

"High Commission of India hopes for political stability and looks forward to working with the Government of Sri Lanka formed in accordance with democratic processes pursuant to the swearing in of Hon'ble @RW_UNP as the Prime Minister of #SriLanka," the embassy tweeted.

On Monday, groups of pro- and anti-government activists clashed in Colombo against the backdrop of the state of emergency imposed last Friday, and a nationwide strike demanding the resignation of the president. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down from office in a bid to mitigate the ongoing crisis. The protesters set his and the president's houses on fire.

Sri Lanka has been suffering from the worst economic crisis in its history since gaining independence in 1948. The dire economic situation was caused by shortages of foreign Currency as tourist flows dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing the country from purchasing enough fuel. The pandemic has also negatively impacted remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad. There is an acute shortage of food and basic necessities, including fuel and gas, with many parts of the island nation facing lengthy power blackouts.