(WION) Former Finance Minister Ali Sabry has credited Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with turning the tide in Colombo’s favour during a crucial meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) representatives over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.

Speaking about the negotiations that led to Sri Lanka’s IMF programme, Sabry said India’s support went beyond diplomatic goodwill. Sri Lanka was facing severe economic problems at the time, including foreign exchange shortages, high inflation and shortages of fuel and medicines.

India was among the first countries to provide emergency financial support to Sri Lanka during the 2022 crisis. It extended billions of dollars in credit lines to help the country meet essential import needs. Sabry said India’s early support sent a strong message to the international community about Colombo’s ability to pursue an economic recovery.

Sabry said he faced a difficult response when he travelled to Washington for discussions with IMF officials. He said the organisation’s regional directors remained doubtful about Sri Lanka’s ability to secure support.

“When I went to Washington, I had a meeting with the regional directors, and they were very negative about Sri Lanka. They said 16 times this has happened. I was disappointed. You know, for the first time, we are trying to tell different things. They were not willing to listen. I thought they lacked empathy,” he said.

Sabry was scheduled to meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath at 03.00 pm. Before that meeting, he met Sitharaman for lunch.

Sabry said he told Sitharaman that his discussions with IMF officials had not gone well. He said she then assured him that she would speak to Georgieva before his meeting.

“In between this meeting, something happened. I had lunch with Nirmala Sitharaman. She asked me, Minister, how did the meeting go? I said, not that great. I said they were kind of reluctant and had a lot of issues. She said Don’t worry, I will meet Kristalina Georgieva before you. I will put a word,” he said.

Sabry said the atmosphere changed significantly when he later met the IMF leadership.

“When I went for the meeting with the IMF Managing Director, which is one of the most crucial meetings for me, the tone, the approach, the environment, everything had changed. Kristalina Georgieva told me that she had just finished a meeting with Nirmala Sitharaman, and 70-80% of the meeting was not about India, but Sri Lanka, he said.

Sabry said the episode became an important foundation for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.

By Nishantha Chaminda Peiris

The ‘Panadura Debate’ stands out as a globally renowned event in the history of Sri Lanka.

Today marks the 153rd anniversary of this debate. Held in Panadura on August 26 and 28, 1873, this exchange was an ideological clash between the Buddhist and Christian communities.

Public debates emerged across the country in response to anti-Buddhist propaganda launched by English missionary movements during the era of British colonial rule; these came to be known as the ‘Pancha Maha Vada’ (Five Great Debate).

Statute of Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thero

The Panadura Debate gained international attention due to the publication of the book titled”*Full “Account of the Buddhist Controversy Held at Panadura” in several countries; it also became widely known under titles such as “The Great Debate: Buddhism and Christianity Face to Face.”

In 2025, UNESCO inscribed the collection of historical documents—including the manuscripts related to the Panadura Debate—into the Memory of the World Register, recognizing its exceptional historical significance. These documents are currently housed at the Rankoth Vihara in Panadura.

Coinciding with this year’s 153rd commemoration, work has commenced on the construction of a special exhibition hall that will provide the public with the opportunity to view artifacts—including the aforementioned documents and ancient palm-leaf manuscripts preserved at the Rankoth Vihara in Panadura.

The construction work was recently inspected by the Chief Incumbent of the Panadura Rankoth Vihara, Ven. Prof. Kahapola Sugatha Rathana Thero, the Vihara Administrator, Ven. Kahapola Nanda Rathana Thero, and Ven. Panadure Prasanna Thero, together with Desamanya Mr.Jagath Sumathipala—Chairman of the Bauddhaloka Foundation, which sponsors this project—and others. This special exhibition hall is scheduled to be opened to the public at the end of the coming September.

The Sri Lanka Surgical Congress 2026 (SLSC ’26), the 55th Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, will be held from September 2 to 5 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

This year’s congress will be held under the theme “Shaping Tomorrow’s Surgeon through Academia, Integrity, and Accountability.”

The event will be conducted as a joint meeting with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the South Asian Surgical Care Society, bringing together surgical professionals and academics for a series of academic and professional sessions.

The inauguration ceremony will be held on September 2 from 6 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., while the academic congress will take place from September 3 to 5, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

All events will be held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

The annual sessions are expected to provide a forum for surgeons and other medical professionals to exchange knowledge, discuss developments in surgical practice and explore the role of academia, professional integrity and accountability in shaping the next generation of surgeons.