News
Indian FM thanks RW for advancing ties
ECONOMYNEXT —Visting India external affairs minister S Jaishankar has met former president Ranil Wickremesinghe and thanked him for advancing ties between the two countries in the past two years.
“Glad to see former President @RW_SRILANKA today. Thanked him for his efforts in advancing our ties in the last two years. Assured him that India will continue to commit to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and development,” he tweeted Friday October 04 afternoon.
In June, Wickremesinghe as then president and Narendra Modi, who had just been sworn in for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India, reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining strong Indo-Sri Lankan relations.
Wickremesinghe attended the swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi yesterday on July 09 on the invitation of Modi.
Modi posed for a group photo with Wickremesinghe next to him.
“Sri Lanka is an important partner in our Neighbourhood First policy. India is proud to be a dependable partner for Sri Lanka. I look forward to realising our joint vision of enhancing connectivity in all its dimensions,” Modi said on social media platform X (twitter).
Modi has reiterated India’s continued commitment to stronger ties with Sri Lanka in keeping with India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR vision.
The two leaders also noted the significant progress that has taken place in implementing the Vision Document issued during the visit of Wickremesinghe to New Delhi in July 2023. “In particular, both leaders reiterated their commitment to accelerate the progress in enhancing connectivity in all its dimensions for catalysing mutual growth, development and prosperity,” a statement by the Indian leader’s media said.
Indian media highlighted Wickremesinghe’s presence at the swearing-in ceremony, with billboards displaying images of him and Modi prominently placed around major roundabouts in New Delhi, according to a statement by Wickremesinghe’s media division.
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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