Lankan Foreign Minister to arrive in India on Sunday

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<strong>Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister G L Peiris is scheduled to visit India from Sunday on a three-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties including in areas of trade and connectivity.</strong></p>
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He will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Jaishankar met Peiris in September last year in New York and held a comprehensive discussion on the close partnership between the two countries.</p>
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Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa's visit to India in December last year had focused on measures concerning the economic crisis faced by the island nation.</p>
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Jaishankar had a virtual meeting with Sri Lankan Finance Minister on January 15 and conveyed that India has always stood with Sri Lanka and will continue to extend support.</p>
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The US$ 400 million SAARC currency swap facility has been extended to Sri Lanka and the ACU settlement of $ 515.2 million has been deferred by two months. Another $ 500 million LOC for the purchase of fuel from India has also been extended.</p>
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India delivered 100,000 Rapid Antigen Self Test Kits to Sri Lanka on Friday to assist it in the fight against Covid-19.</p>
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