Indian Navy's Kalvari class submarine INS Vagir made its maiden foreign port call at Colombo in Sri Lanka on Thursday. In this regard, the Spokesperson of the Indian Navy took to Twitter and said," Indian Navy's Kalvari class submarine INS Vagir made her maiden foreign port call at Colombo in Sri Lanka. The submarine hosted Senior Sri Lankan dignitaries including the State Minister of Defence, Secretary of Defence and Commander of Sri Lanka Navy." INS 'Vagir' was on an operational visit to Colombo from June 19 to June 22. This visit is in commemoration of the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga and aligns with the theme of 'Global Ocean Ring'. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reportedly moved to safety as crowds broke through a police cordon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign.Tens of thousands of protesters demanding Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the government’s resignation, stormed his official residence on Saturday. Rajapaksa was moved to a safer area, an official within his office told news agency dpa, while AFP cited a top defense source as saying the president was escorted to safety. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to step down from his position on Saturday after summoning an emergency meeting of political party leaders. He said he is willing to make way for an all-party government in the light of the protests and ongoing economic crisis the country. During the latest protests at Rajapaksa’s residence, a regular fixture in recent weeks, troops fired in the air, trying to prevent the angry crowds from overrunning the palace, but the protesters eventually managed to break through. Shortly after, protesters managed to breach the president’s offices, located less than a kilometer from Rajapaksa’s residence. Images broadcast on national television later showed crowds gathering both outside and inside the building. Worst economic crisis in living memory The island nation is in the midst of its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. The country defaulted on its foreign debt in April. The president has so far refused to resign. However, in an apparent bid to appease the protesters, he has removed several of his close relatives from top government positions, including two of his brothers, Mahinda and Basil, who until recently served as the country’s prime minister and finance minister, respectively. In May, Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister and is currently also in charge of heading the Finance Ministry. He has pledged to establish a relief program and a new economic plan which would allow him to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Bankrupt with debts of over $50 billion Wickremesinghe said the country’s bailout talks with the IMF were reliant on finalizing a debt restructuring plan with creditors by August, and that was made all the more difficult as the country is bankrupt with debts now totaling over $50 billion (€49.1 billion). Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have suffered months of surging inflation and lengthy power cuts after the government ran out of foreign currency to import essential goods, such as food, fuel and medicine.

Sri Lanka is all set to celebrate New year on April 14 at a time when the country is in the abyss of a severe economic crisis and as a neighbouring country, India is providing maximum help to the Island nation. The stock of 11,000 MT of rice from India reached Colombo on Tuesday ahead of the country's New Year celebrations.   Eldos Mathew Punnose, Central Public Information Officer, Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka told ANI: "11000 MT rice from India reached Colombo by ship Chen Glory today ahead of New Year celebration in Sri Lanka. 16,000 MT of rice was supplied by India to Sri Lanka in the past week itself. These supplies which mark a special bond between two nations will continue." "In addition to USD 1 billion dollar credit line, India supported with food medicines and other essential commodities guided by the priority of govt of Sri Lanka. India has also extended USD 500 million credit line to purchase fuel, under this around 2,70,000 MT of petrol, diesel has already arrived in Sri Lanka," he added. "Our relationship with Sri Lanka is multi dimensional and it is comprehensive in nature. We are good friends and good neighbours," the Indian high commission official added. While speaking to Media, Chairman of State trading corporation, Yoga Perera said that many countries have come forward to help and negotiations going on but India was the first country under credit line delivering the consignment to help Sri Lanka at this time.   Source: ANI

    On Tuesday the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stepped in to help the Peradeniya Hospital in Colombo after scheduled surgeries were suspended due to a shortage of medicines. The hospital had said that only emergency surgeries were taking place. “Disturbed to see this news. Am asking High Commissioner Baglay to contact and discuss how India can help,” Jaishankar tweeted on seeing the news. The Indian High Commission in Colombo later said that it contacted officials at the Peradeniya University and requested to know their requirements for medicines to continue regular and scheduled surgeries, Colombo Gazette reported. The hospital later announced that it had resumed surgeries after receiving an assurance that its urgent requirements will be met. According to Daily News, the decision taken by the authorities of Peradeniya Teaching Hospital to temporarily postpone all routine surgeries due to the unavailability of several essential drugs and consumables was reverted after the assurance given by the Medical Supply Division of Health Ministry to provide all necessary drugs and other necessities with immediate effect, Hospital's director Dr. H.M. Arjuna Thilakarathna said. He had stated that there was a shortage of several essential drugs and consumable items used for anesthesia and surgery at the hospital. The decision to suspend routine surgeries came after the matter was taken up during the hospital's management committee meeting. On Monday, the EAM visited a Lanka IOC petrol shed in Colombo to asses the fuel situation. He visited the fuel station at a time when large queues were seen at fuel stations in and around Colombo. Source: indiablooms.com    

Dhaka and Colombo today (Saturday) signed six Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to enhance cooperation between the two countries in different areas. These are – MoU on cooperation for strengthening youth development between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, MoU between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP) and MoU between Directorate of Technical Education of Bangladesh and Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) of Sri Lanka on Exchange of Documentation on Vocational Qualifications. Besides, MoU on Cooperation for Training of Bangladesh Nurses and Health Care Workers in Sri Lanka, MoU on cooperation between Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, and MoU on Cultural Programmes between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for years 2021-2025 were also signed. Among the six, MoU on cooperation for strengthening youth development between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was signed by State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel and Sri Lankan State Minister of Rural Housing and Construction and Building Material Industries Ministry Indika Anuruddha. MoU between BARC and SLCARP was signed by Bangladesh Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and State Minister of Batik, Handloom Fabric and Local Apparel Products Ministry of Sri Lanka Dayasiri Jayasekera. MoU between Directorate of Technical Education of Bangladesh and Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka on Exchange of Documentation on Vocational Qualifications was inked by Bangladesh Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Sri Lankan Education Minister Professor GL Peiris. MoU on Cooperation for Training of Bangladesh Nurses and Health Care Workers in Sri Lanka was signed by Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Sri Lankan state minister for Money and Capital market and State Enterprise Reforms Ministry Ajith Nivard Cabraal. MoU on cooperation between Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies was signed by State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Md Shahriar Alam and Sri Lankan State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya. Apart from these, MoU on Cultural exchange Programme between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for years 2021-2025 was signed by Cultural Affairs Secretary Badrul Arefin and Sri Lankan secretary to the Prime Minister Gamini Sedara Senarath. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa witnessed the signing ceremony. The MoUs were inked after the bilateral talks between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that took place at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the capital. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa led their respective delegation sides at the talks. Before the formal talks, the two leaders also held a tête-à-tête for some time. Earlier, on arrival of the Sri Lankan premier at the PMO, he was received by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Tiger Gate. Rajapaksa arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning on a two-day bilateral visit to join the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of the country’s independence. Source: BSS AH