Colombo, May 28 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the combined fifth and sixth reviews of Sri Lanka’s economic reform program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement, giving the country immediate access to a fund of 695 million US dollars. The latest disbursement brings total IMF purchases under the arrangement to 2.4 billion US dollars. The 48-month EFF arrangement, approved in March 2023 for about 3 billion US dollars, supports Sri Lanka’s program to restore…
Latest Cyclone Ditwah News & Updates
Colombo, May 4 (IANS) Sri Lanka and the Maldives signed seven memoranda of understanding during Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s State Visit to Colombo, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said on Monday.The agreements cover cooperation in tourism, education, higher education, health, sports, youth development, archives and defence, the PMD said.Muizzu arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday for a three-day State Visit at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The visit mar…
Colombo, April 22 (IANS) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan departed for New Delhi after concluding a successful two-day visit to Sri Lanka on Monday. The Vice President’s visit yielded key outcomes focused on further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two nations, including eased OCI eligibility to sixth-generation Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs) for simpler travel to India.VP Radhakrishnan also virtually handed over a cluster of houses to plantation workers under the Indian Housing Projec…
Colombo, April 20 (IANS) Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Monday arrived in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, to visit sites of the Indian Housing Project aimed at supporting the Indian-origin Tamil community. The visit marks a key engagement in strengthening India’s developmental and people-centric cooperation with Sri Lanka.The Vice President’s official X handle informed about the visit, stating, “Vice President of India Shri C P Radhakrishnan arrived in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, today to visit…
Colombo, April 19 (IANS) Ceylon Workers Congress President Senthil Thondaman said on Sunday that it was an honour to meet Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and expressed gratitude to Indian government for their continuous support to Sri Lanka during the Cyclone Ditwah. Speaking to IANS after meeting the Vice President, Thondaman said that he requested him to grant Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status to Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka. “It was an honour to welcome the Indian Vice President, …
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan called on Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Sunday, with discussions held on strengthening bilateral and cultural ties between the two nations. During the meeting, Radhakrishnan reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Neighbourhood policy and further strengthening cooperation between India and Sri Lanka for the benefit of people of two nations.In a post on X, Ministry of External A…
Colombo, March 19 (IANS) India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha met Sri Lanka’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K D Lal Kantha on Thursday, discussing opportunities for collaboration to increase especially usage of cost effective technology to boost farmer’s incomes. They also spoke about regional and global developments. In a statement shared on X, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka wrote, “High Commissioner Santosh Jha met Hon K.D. Lal Kantha, Minist…
New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) World Champions India could play additional T20Is in Sri Lanka and Ireland as the team prepares for a packed international schedule over the next 12 months, said a report. The proposed matches would come alongside a series of already scheduled bilateral tours and tournaments.According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering adding three T20Is to India’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The matches are likely to take place b…
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Saturday stated that India’s rise would benefit the Indian Ocean region, describing it as “a lifting tide”, emphasising the strategic significance of the wider region. Speaking alongside Seychelles Foreign Minister Barry Faure and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath during the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on ‘Heart of the Seas: Future of the Indian Ocean’, EAM said, “I do want the rest of the Indian Ocean to appre…
Colombo, Feb 23 (IANS) Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka have steadily increased over the past three years, reinforcing India’s position as the largest source of foreign visitors. While Indian tourists accounted for 17 per cent of total arrivals in 2022, their share rose to 22.5 per cent in 2025, underscoring India’s clear dominance compared to other nations, a report said on Monday.According to a report in the leading international news magazine ‘The Diplomat’, the United Kingdom ranked as…