India looks forward to work with new Sri Lanka government: Indian High Commission

Colombo, May 12: After the appointment of new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Sri Lanka on Thursday, India said that it looks forward to working with the new government formed in accordance with the democratic processes.

"India hopes for political stability and looks forward to working with the Government of Sri Lanka formed in accordance with democratic processes pursuant to the swearing in of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka," the High Commission of India in Colombo said in a statement.

The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) was appointed as the Prime Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. After taking oath as the PM of the crisis-hit nation, Wickremesinghe said that he had taken on the challenge of uplifting the economy and he must fulfill it.

On asking about India-Sri Lanka relations, he said, "It will become much better."

Wickremesinghe, who has served as the country's prime minister four times, was in October 2018 fired from the post of prime minister by then-President Maithripala Sirisena.

However, he was reinstalled as the prime minister by Sirisena after two months. "India's commitment to the people of Sri Lanka will continue," the High Commission said in a tweet.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices. PTI