Hit By Economic Crisis, Sri Lankan President Asks Putin For Help In Importing Fuel

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JAKARTA - Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to help his cash-strapped country import fuel as his country struggles with its worst economic crisis in seven decades.

Sri Lanka has struggled to import even basic necessities, amid a shortage of foreign exchange due to mismanagement of the economy and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, Sri Lanka has a severe shortage of medicine, food and fuel.

"(I) had a very productive telecon with the President of #Russia, Vladimir Putin," Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a tweet on Twitter.

He added that it had requested credit support from Russia to import the fuel. With gasoline and diesel stocks running low, Sri Lanka has extended school closures across the country and asked civil servants to work from home.

Sri Lanka has been buying oil from Russia to tackle the crisis, and the government has indicated it is willing to make further purchases.

"We unanimously agree that strengthening bilateral relations in sectors such as tourism, trade & culture is paramount in strengthening the friendship the two countries have," said Rajapaksa.

Tourism Support

Sri Lanka will also hold road shows in five Indian cities to attract more visitors from its congested northern neighbor to bring in more foreign currency, said Tourism Minister Harin Fernando.

Sri Lanka, known for its pristine hills and beaches and seaside towns, received only a handful of tourists from India of 61,951 in the first five months of this year.

"Sri Lanka must have tourism revenue if it wants to get out of this crisis. That's important," Harin Fernando told reporters.

Fernando said he hoped the country would end the year with about one million tourists, compared with fewer than 200,000 arrivals last year, although several countries, including Britain, have issued warnings asking their citizens to make only essential trips to Sri Lanka.

"We are sure the winter will be good," Fernando said.