Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister to visit New Delhi for talks on further assistance
The HinduSri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa will visit New Delhi later this month, Indian authorities said, following his telephone conversation with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday, amid a severe economic meltdown stifling the island nation. This would be Mr. Rajapaksa’s second visit amid Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis, marked by a fuel and food shortages, and long power cuts across the country. He was in India early in December, when the two countries agreed on a four–pronged plan that included emergency lines of credit and a currency swap to boost Sri Lanka’s fast–draining foreign reserves. Late on Monday, Sri Lanka’s Central Bank devalued the rupee by 15%, setting an exchange rate limit of LKR 230 against the dollar, increasing it from 200-203 that prevailed since October 2021.