Japan wants Sri Lanka’s creditors to participate on comparable terms
By Easwaran Rutnam
Japan wants Sri Lanka’s creditors to participate on comparable terms and to also be transparent.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, HAYASHI Yoshimasa, who was in Sri Lanka today, paid a courtesy call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
At the outset, President Wickremesinghe welcomed Minister Hayashi’s visit. In response, Minister Hayashi stated that the fact that President Wickremesinghe’s visited Japan twice during his first year in office symbolizes the deepening bilateral relationship between the two countries, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
“Minister Hayashi expressed his hope for further progress in the debt restructuring process and underscored the importance of a transparent and comparable debt restructuring that involves all creditor countries,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
President Wickremesinghe stated that he will take at most care to the transparency and comparability of the debt restructuring, and reiterated his appreciation for Japan’s contribution to the discussions on debt restructuring.
Minister Hayashi stated that Japan attaches great importance to cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which Sri Lanka will chair from October. President Wickremesinghe welcomed Japan’s proactive contribution as the IORA chair.
They also candidly exchanged views on bilateral relations, regional situation including East Asia, and cooperation on economy.
Speaking to reporters later following of a meeting with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, the Japanese Foreign Minister said that Japan is very eager to support Sri Lanka along the way in the future.
He said that Sri Lanka is located at a strategic juncture along the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean and is an important partner in realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
“At today’s meeting, I explained about the new plan for FOIP that Prime Minister Kishida announced in March this year, and stated that Japan attaches importance to cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which Sri Lanka will chair from October,” he said.
The Japanese Foreign Minister said that he also conveyed his expectations for further progress in the debt restructuring process and stressed the importance of a transparent and comparable debt restructuring that involves all creditor countries.
“I welcomed Sri Lanka’s efforts under the IMF agreement, including its anti-corruption measures and transparency in the policy-making process. I also commended Sri Lanka’s efforts on national reconciliation, and expressed Japan’s intention to support Sri Lanka’s efforts,” he said.
The Japanese Minister said that he and his Government hopes that Sri Lanka will overcome the current crisis as soon as possible and bring itself back on track for further economic development, serving as a hub in the Indian Ocean. (Colombo Gazette)
