News
Sri Lanka keen to privatise oil trade, yet to sign any deal
By Ifham Nizam
Sri Lanka was keen to privatise its oil industry but to date it had not been able to sign any deal, Power and Energy Minister, Kanchana Wijesekera, told journalists yesterday on the sidelines of the ADIPEC conference, in Abu Dhabi.
Minister Wijesekera is attending the top meeting where Energy Ministers from across the world spell out their position, prior to the COP 27 meeting in Egypt.
Wijesekera also said that Sri Lanka had earlier implemented a national fuel management programme, which helped reduce fuel consumption by 40%, and is also still in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial aid.
“Sri Lanka is still struggling to afford international fuel prices and is unable to fully procure the country’s requirements,” he added.
Wijesekera also said that Sri Lanka was still seeking financial assistance from oil-producing countries, but had not been able to secure any aid apart from an existing deal with India.
Sri Lanka is also expecting a diesel cargo from China to arrive by the end of November, which will help to meet its needs for several months, he said.
Imports of Russian crude oil and refined fuel are also still under consideration. “It doesn’t matter where it’s coming from as long as it’s affordable for Sri Lanka,” Minister Wijesekera said.
Members of the South Asian Journalists Forum have gathered at the University of New Delhi for a two day conference themed ‘Peace and Co-operation’.
Journalists from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India are attending the conference hosted by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the India Chapter of SJF, and will deliberate on how the media can act as a catalyst for regional stability and mutual coexsistence.
A tree plantation campaign was also held at the Ghandi Bhawan premises of the University to mark the event and symbolize growing regional ties.
The Sri Lanka delegation is led by President of SJF’s Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi.
The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.
These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.
The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.
The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.
Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.
During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.
The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.
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